Whole Sol Gets Ready to Bol Over the Union Station Neighborhood

The vigor and enthusiasm of Whole Sol founders Phil Dumontet and Alexa Squillaro is palpable as they ready their new superfood bar at 1735 Chestnut Place for its July 18 opening. "I'll have whatever they're eating" might be a common thought for anyone who meets the young, energetic couple.

And what they're eating is a range of smoothie "bols," gluten-free toasts, breakfasts built around poached eggs and probiotics, cold-pressed juices, and snacks intended as clean fuel for folks on the go. "We're going for 100 percent transparency," Squillaro explains, and that's evident in the shelves visible behind the counter filled with buzzword ingredients like turmeric, matcha green tea, macadamia nuts and chia seeds, and in the menu of all-organic food and drinks.

Health and fitness are priorities for Dumontet, a Forbes "30 Under 30" honoree who founded restaurant delivery company Dashed by pedaling around Boston with a Rubbermaid tub strapped to his bicycle before eventually selling the company to GrubHub, and Squillaro, a nutritionist who at one point helped New York City public schools in the Washington Heights neighborhood get a handle on the dietary needs of children from low-income families. They're both marathon runners, and in fact, moved to Colorado after coming to Boulder for a race and falling in love with the Rocky Mountain lifestyle.

Açaí and dragonfruit smoothies are the current rage with superfood fanatics, and Whole Sol fills that need, but Dumontet says he wasn't content with offering the same frozen concoction as every other smoothie shop, so he and Squillaro formulated their own acaí blend. They're also offering other unique smoothie blends not found in other shops, creating bases with cold-brew coffee, coconut, banana, vegan cookie dough, dates, avocado and other nutrient-dense ingredients. There's no processed sugar in the place; sweetness comes only from the fruits themselves. And while there will be a set list of smoothie bols year-round, Whole Sol will also offer seasonal blends, like this summer's Strawberry Lemonade bol, made with lemon juice, strawberries, blueberries, basil, manuka honey, buckwheat groats (for crunch) and pistachios.


The chilly bols are great for a warm-weather breakfast or lunch, but those wanting something hot can turn to toasts made on vegan, gluten-free bread and topped with the likes of avocado, hemp pesto, almond ricotta or almond butter. Breakfast bols combine, for example, poached eggs with locally made sauerkraut and spinach, or scrambled tofu with kale, mushrooms, tomatoes, turmeric and other veggies. Overnight oats and chia pudding pots round out the savory selection; they'll be served chilled or warm, depending on the season.

All these, plus coffee and tea drinks, can be supplemented with protein powder and adaptogens, which are herbs, flowers and other botanicals intended to help humans handle the physical symptoms of stress.

Whole Sol is a gluten-free eatery and also takes sustainability seriously, offering bols in reusable coconut shells, or to-go items in compostable containers (even the cups, spoons and forks are compostable). To-go bowls are imprinted with witticisms at the bottom: "You crushed it today," "Done & done," and "Life is short, lick the bowl."

The grand opening of Whole Sol begins at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 18. The first 100 customers in line will receive gift cards worth $100 and will be added to the Sol Mates club, which will give them early notice on news, specials and deals throughout the year. After that, the shop will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Squillaro and Dumontet also have a Boulder location in the works, at 1420 Pearl Street, which they expect to open in September.