We recently connected with Anca and have shared our conversation below.

Anca, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

In a world driven by overnight profit and accelerated production, our health too often becomes collateral damage. Eating out has devolved into choosing what is least harmful rather than enjoying a truly nutritious meal that fuels your day. At Kaia Bowls our goal is to make ordering out a clean healthy experience. We handcraft every bowl and smoothie with whole nutrient dense ingredients, avoiding cooking oils, fried foods and heavily processed items and featuring fresh fruits and vegetables, premium proteins and crave worthy flavors. All our offerings are fully customizable to suit your taste and support your wellness goals.

Anca, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve spent my career helping people heal and thrive, first as a dentist in Romania and then as a vascular ultrasound technician here in Canada, so I’ve seen firsthand how poor nutrition accelerates chronic disease, saps energy, and undermines quality of life. Frustrated by the lack of genuinely healthy convenient options, I set out to change the way we all think about eating out.

At Kaia Bowls we handcraft poke bowls, açaí bowls, and smoothies using only the very best ingredients. Our poke bowls center on sushi-grade salmon and tuna, grilled chicken, shrimp, or plant-based “chicken” alternatives. Every vegetable is delivered fresh each morning and cut by hand so that every bite is vibrant and nutrient-dense. Our açaí bases are made from pure, unsweetened fruit purée and topped with freshly cut fruit daily. Likewise our smoothies blend real seasonal fruits, never from concentrates or syrups, with your choice of coconut or almond milk, and no added sugars.

What sets us apart is the depth of our commitment: we’ve built relationships with trusted importers to source proteins and produce that meet our exacting standards for freshness and sustainability. We’ve designed every menu item to be fully customizable so that whether you need an extra protein boost before your workout or a low-glycemic meal to stabilize blood sugar, you get exactly what your body needs.

I’m most proud when I hear from customers who’ve swapped their usual drive-thru fare for one of our bowls and felt a real difference, more energy, better digestion, clearer focus. That’s the impact I dreamed of when I decided to blend my healthcare background with the fast-casual world. At Kaia Bowls, we’re more than a lunch spot: we’re a movement toward clean, nourishing meals that fit seamlessly into busy lives.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I began my professional life in Romania training and practicing as a dentist—over a decade of post-secondary studies and clinical work. Then my father unexpectedly passed away from a stroke, and almost simultaneously my husband accepted a long-term sailing position in Canada. We uprooted our family, and I discovered that my Romanian dental license didn’t transfer. Overnight I went from a confident practitioner to someone starting over.

With two young children at home and a husband away at sea half the year, I enrolled in school here in Canada to become a vascular ultrasound technician. Balancing night classes, clinical rotations, and parenting taught me resilience, time management, and the power of community support. That pivot not only gave me a new healthcare qualification but also reinforced my resolve: if I could rebuild my career under those circumstances, I could tackle any future challenge, like launching Kaia Bowls!

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Effective team management starts with embracing resilience and treating feedback, both praise and criticism, as fuel for growth. Make it clear that every voice matters by actively soliciting input after each shift or project. When someone raises a concern or points out a misstep, thank them for their honesty and work together on a solution. This open-door approach not only uncovers opportunities to improve but also shows your team that you truly value their perspective.

Think of your crew as a family: when one person stumbles, the rest rally to lift them back up. Encourage more experienced members to mentor newer colleagues, sharing best practices and troubleshooting mishaps in real time. Mistakes will happen, especially with a young, student-heavy staff, but by debriefing collectively and implementing small, targeted adjustments, you turn every error into a learning moment rather than a setback.

Finally, commit to continuous, incremental progress. No one expects perfection overnight, but everyone appreciates steady improvement. Celebrate even minor wins, a smoother service flow, a well-handled rush, a customer compliment, and use them as reminders that small gains add up. When your team sees that each contribution moves the whole operation forward, morale stays high, and everyone feels empowered to bring their best every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kaiabowls.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaiabowlsafetyharbor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Kaia-Bowls-Safety-Harbor/100095103904252/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.ca/biz/kaia-bowls-safety-harbor-safety-harbor