Bonji Bowls comes to Maplewood

If you stroll past the front door of Village Coffee you will see a sign on the sidewalk advertising 

the latest eating place to come to town.  Bonji Bowls offers smoothies,  fruit drinks and fruit and vegetable bowls.  Some are standardized but can be customized to taste.

A little confusion here. The doorway is located off the parking lot located behind Village Coffee and a few feet to the right. These directions are not indicated anywhere.  No entrance on Maplewood Ave.

Spoke to a few of the staff and they seem like a hip group.

Cannot give a review of their wares as I had no time to sample them today.  Will try to publish a sample menu.

Welcome to Maplewood and Good Luck.

https://bonjibowls.com/

I’m assuming it’s a dessert place?

So you walk down the parking lot to the back of Village Coffee then turn right past a building or two?  That shouldn’t be a problem if it’s well marked.  

Curious to try it

Looks to me like it is primarily a desert place which has a health food aspect to it.  No sticky gooey mountain of chocolate loaded with sugar offerings.  The kind of place your mother would urge you to try.

I don't know how heatlhy it is. Half of the items have Nutella in them. Nutella's first ingredient is sugar. 

I think the Clarus building will get them more foot traffic than the old Post Office would have.

jfinnegan said:
I don't know how heatlhy it is. Half of the items have Nutella in them. Nutella's first ingredient is sugar. 

 It appears that the Bonji Bowl itself could have a "Banana Honey" base, plus Nutella, plus caramel.

nohero said:
I think the Clarus building will get them more foot traffic than the old Post Office would have.
  

 Hard to say but from our vantage pint in the Village Coffee building there are two "stores" in the Circus building that are sadly in need of customers.  When the first Dollar store goes in there I am hoping it is a Dollar Tree where everything really costs a dollar.

author said:

nohero said:
I think the Clarus building will get them more foot traffic than the old Post Office would have.
  

 Hard to say but from our vantage pint in the Village Coffee building there are two "stores" in the Circus building that are sadly in need of customers.  When the first Dollar store goes in there I am hoping it is a Dollar Tree where everything really costs a dollar.

If it’s in the Clarus building then it’s a left, not right in the back of the parking lot, right?

No,,,the Clarus building has nothing to do with the new restaurant.

As you are facing Village Coffee..........immediately to the left of the front door there is a black macadam path.  It  goes the length of the building............maybe 50ft.

At the end of the building are the dumpsters shared by a few entities.  Turn a sharp right passed the patio built by the Japanese restaurant and  then past the rear of Lorena's.  See immediately on your right The entrance to Bonji.  From Maplewood Ave probably less than 150 feet to walk there. Enjoy.

With Village Coffee on your right, BCB Bank on your left, walk toward the railway wall until you hit the garbage dumpsters, then turn right. Bonji Bowls is right there.

ridski said:
With Village Coffee on your right, BCB Bank on your left, walk toward the railway wall until you hit the garbage dumpsters, then turn right. Bonji Bowls is right there.

Rail way wall ?.........much shorter turning right immediately after passing the dumpsters.  Unless one is looking to add extra walking distance for exercise.  Although it is true that those of us who live in the Village Coffee building zig zag our way through the dumpsters if they all seem to be full and we carried down yesterdays garbage.

author said:

Rail way wall ?

 Toward it, the fellow said. Not to it.

Ah so.

The address Bonji Bowls lists on its website is 168 Maplewood Avenue, which is also the address of Lorena's.  Bonji Bowls is in the back of the building facing the parking lot. I think it was once a nail salon. 

Addresses can be confusing.  The address for the tenants of the Village Coffee building and the Japanese restaurant on the right side but part of the building is 166 Maplewood Ave.  Village Coffee store on the left side of the same building is 164 Maplewood Ave

As far as Bonji store previously being a nail salon maybe,  but I don't remember one there.

There was a small nail salon just about parallel on the Maplewoood Avenue side but it went out of business years ago.

ridski said:
With Village Coffee on your right, BCB Bank on your left, walk toward the railway wall until you hit the garbage dumpsters, then turn right. Bonji Bowls is right there.

 Not the most appetising set of directions. LOL

I saw a pic of the exterior on Facebook. To help people find it, the owners of Bonji Bowls put a large sign above their door. It says, "Bonji Bowls." 

dave said:

ridski said:
With Village Coffee on your right, BCB Bank on your left, walk toward the railway wall until you hit the garbage dumpsters, then turn right. Bonji Bowls is right there.

 Not the most appetising set of directions. LOL

 Well then again,  your alternative would be to face Village Coffee......make an immediate right till

 you come to Arturo's at the end of the block.  Circle around that building till you come to the parking lot.  Then make a left and walk about 80 per cent of the length of the lot.  By the time you do that you will have gotten your exercise and be ready for a Bonji Bowl

Dave - Had to look up your spelling. Always learn something on MOL. See that appetising is the British spelling of appetizing.

This is one of the funniest threads I have every read. A debate on the best directions to reach a local spot, and then a further discussion of the accuracy of street addresses. Up to the latter I was just going to use WAZE

Well Author is always happy to provide humor to the denizens of Maplewood even though I have no idea what is WAZE.

However herewith is the first review of the product of our new neighbor.  The woman in my life and I a few minutes ago made the journey through the rear parking lot of the buildings to Bonji Bowls.

We found an immaculate store, an accommodating staff and a delicious product.

I had a peanut butter bash shake which hit the spot.  She had an Acai bowl with more ingredients 

and add ons than I can remember.  She thought it very tasty and she is more food critic than I.

And the big news........Saturday Feb. 9th is their ribbon cutting ceremony

The first 50 customers will be given a free Bonji Bowl.  Yes that is right, a free Bonji Bowl to the

first 50 customers.

Doors open at 11;AM.............be there or you will be forced to vote Republican

https://villagegreennj.com/towns/maplewood/diners-jump-for-joy-literally-as-bonji-bowls-opens-in-maplewood/

REALLY are they opening?  Their sign has been up for years! Why does it take soooooooo long to open a restaurant in Maplewood???  I'm still waiting for the noodle place to open where the Columbian restaurant was.  

harden said:
REALLY are they opening?  Their sign has been up for years! Why does it take soooooooo long to open a restaurant in Maplewood???  I'm still waiting for the noodle place to open where the Columbian restaurant was.  

 Bonji Bowls has been open for ages. It's open right now, in fact, until 7pm.

Not for anything, but given how hard this plae is to find, I'm not feeling terribly optimistic. However, I hope they do well.

cubby said:
Not for anything, but given how hard this plae is to find, I'm not feeling terribly optimistic. However, I hope they do well.

 It is a professional operation but the location is just this side of terrible.

cubby said:
Not for anything, but given how hard this plae is to find, I'm not feeling terribly optimistic. However, I hope they do well.

 I found it about 3 months before it opened. What’s the problem?

I don't think the place is hard to find.  I noticed it several times and I can't stand those bowl things.  My son talked me into ordering from Playa Bowls one time and it was electric blue or pink and cold way too sweet. A food fad I don't get,   My son thinks they are great and lots of people I know love them, so I think they will do well.  I prefer Spouts.  The chopped salad fad is here to stay!!!!  Long live the chopped salad fad!!!!  Maybe I'll go get one today.  

ridski said:

cubby said:
Not for anything, but given how hard this plae is to find, I'm not feeling terribly optimistic. However, I hope they do well.

 I found it about 3 months before it opened. What’s the problem?

 Probably not too difficult to find if you already know about it and you're looking for it. Unfortunately, its pretty difficult to be successful in the industry and I think this location will make it even harder.