Exploring Life & Business with Matthew Caplan of Caplan & Associates

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Caplan.

Hi Matthew, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My wife, Cheryl, and our son, Torin, discovered Playa Bowls in Maryland in October of 2020. They then took me to Playa Bowls for my first time in 2021 while on  vacation in Florida. Our 21-year-old son, Torin, went every day we were in Florida, so I decided to go with him and see what he was enjoying so much. Cheryl and I loved it and were impressed with the quality of the food and the cool vibe of the stores.

When we returned to Michigan, I called Playa Bowls to find out if they were in Michigan, The conversation led to an inquiry about franchising. We decided as a family it would be great to own a store, but the more we got involved the more we saw a need for multiple stores in Michigan.

We loved the people, the products, the music, the murals, everything about Playa Bowls. After we opened the first store, all we wanted to do was be at the store. It is a fun, exciting, positive, upbeat place and it puts a smile on your face. Since the first started so well, we moved on to the second and then the third.

We now have stores in Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills, and Troy with several more in different stages of development.

We both still have our day jobs but try to get around to all the stores as much as possible.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We learned something with each store. The first store was a bit rocky getting through the construction phase because it was our first one, and we didn’t know what to expect. By the second store we knew what our time frames were, what we needed to order in advance, etc. The hardest thing is probably staffing a store, but we have been very blessed to have three awesome general managers who have put together an amazing hardworking group of employees in each store.

There are challenges with working with such a large amount of fresh fruit every day, especially when there are supply chain issues. If you have frozen crops in Florida or flooding or fires in California, then you may have problems getting strawberries at an affordable price and in the right quantity.

Overall, it has been a lot of fun, but behind the scenes it takes a lot of hard work from a lot of talented people.

We’ve been impressed with Caplan & Associates, P.C., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have been a practicing Family Law attorney for 26 years. My firm operates as D.A.W.N. – Divorce Attorneys for Women. We are a 5-attorney firm that specializes in representing women in family law matters like divorce, custody, parenting time, and support matters. We are very proud to have helped thousands of women and children better their lives and get out of bad situations.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I have always been an active, outgoing, live for the moment kind of person. I have always enjoyed being outdoors, spending time on the water, and participating in many sports and activities. I got my first job at 14 and have worked ever since. My father taught me a strong work ethic, and I have never shied away from hard work. At times, I may have been a bit of a perfectionist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.playabowls.com/location/bloomfield-hills (or /rochester-hills) (or /troy)
• Instagram: @playabowlsbloomfieldhills / @playabowlsrochesterhills / @playabowlsTroy
• Facebook: @playabowlsbloomfieldhills / @playabowlsrochesterhills / @playabowlsTroy