Grand Opening of Poughkeepsie SoBol
Grace Kirk ‘24 signs the new chalkboard decor at the Poughkeepsie Sobol. Photo by Madison Lisowski ‘23
Ever since the Starbucks across the street from Marist College relocated, both students and Poughkeepsie locals have wondered what would replace the empty space. The wait is now over, with the acai and juice bar chain “SoBol” taking over.
This past Wednesday, November 9th, Sobol had its grand opening. The opening activities included free acai bowls for the entirety of the day, a DJ, and the ability to check out the new and improved room.
Anthony Balbo, the owner of the Poughkeepsie SoBol, shared that this is not his first time in the restaurant business. SoBol has many locations throughout the Northeast, including Connecticut, Long Island and other areas of New York. Furthermore, Sobol has also been in partnership with Tony’s for over 50 years.
Balbo signed the lease back in March of 2022, with renovations to the building starting in April. The goal was to build a completely new vibe by starting the design from scratch.
“We didn’t really recycle anything from Starbucks,” said Balbo, “everything was fresh so that people would get the feel that it is a new location.”
What makes a Sobol acai dish stand out from the others is that it is not only gluten free, but also dairy free, vegetarian friendly and free of all added sugars and powders. So not only does the product taste delicious, but it is a fulfilling and healthy meal made completely from fresh fruit products.
Balbo said that Sobol will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to ensure that students are able to come by both for breakfast before class and for a treat after a long day.
“It is challenging bringing a new concept and trying to gauge the public’s interest,” Balbo explained. His partners and him agreed that this idea was something that the Marist and Poughkeepsie community needed to have. They say that so far, there has been plenty of support from Marist students, between a line out the door on opening day and a list attempting to obtain a part time job.
Sobol will also be accepting Marist Money and offering a rewards program where you can collect points each time you visit and get benefits back. Sobol is now featured on UberEats, DoorDash and GrubHub, along with the ability to pre-order on their app to skip the line.
Overall, Sobol is excited to be here, and the Marist community seems excited to have them. While every restaurant has its challenges, this seems to be like a business that will thrive at this location.