THE REBRANDED ARUBA ISLAND BOWLS IS NOW A PERMANENT FIXTURE IN THE STRIP DISTRICT. | PHOTO BY SONE EKUKOLE-SONE

The tropical paradise of Aruba is now a permanent fixture in the Strip District.

Julian Camilo de Jong and Rachel Morgan de Jong had served plant-based smoothies and smoothie bowls at a permanent food truck called Island Bowls near 16th and Penn Avenue since 2022. But each year it had to close up during the winter months. It recently moved into the former Soluna coffee shop space at 1601 Penn Ave., where it will operate year-round. This weekend the restaurant — now rebranded as Aruba Island Bowls — is brewing up a grand reopening.

JULIAN CAMILO DE JONG IN THE ISLAND BOWLS FOOD TRUCK LAST YEAR. | PHOTO BY LAURA PETRILLA

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“Back in 2016,  I met my wife, Rachel, in Aruba while she was on vacation, and we were both conscious about living a healthy lifestyle. We started making smoothies and experimenting with other foods,” Julian says.

Aruba Island Bowls offers plenty of healthy options on its menus, and now it is adding poke bowls, coffee and waffles. It’s already open in the new space, and hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

ARUBA ISLAND BOWLS IS LOCATED AT 1601 PENN AVE., THE FORMER SOLUNA COFFEE SHOP SPACE. | PHOTO BY SONE EKUKOLE-SONE

“I think most people are used to the quick grab ’n’ go and their body is used to this food, but once I switched to a healthier option, I saw improvements in my physical and mental health. I want people to taste something healthy and delicious,” he says. 

Julian is passionate about gluten-free healthy cuisine. Since he was 12, he’s been working in restaurants, and his experience helped him develop a love for the food industry. 

“I’ve worked in hotels, restaurants, and at tourism sites, and that’s where my experience and passion come from,” he says. 

Julian has poured his Arubian culture into Island Bowls. He describes his homeland — a Dutch colony in the Caribbean just north of Venezuela — as a “very cheerful little island and it is super colorful.” He used bright colors to design his shop and it includes a lot of Latin American influence. “It is common for Arubian designs to have bright Caribbean colors,” he says.

At the grand reopening, they will be cutting the ribbon outside, and there will be a live band. 

The location next to the 16th Street Bridge in 2013 became the first site of Gaucho Parrilla Argentina, which has since moved to the Cultural District, Downtown. The space then became a Honduran cafe, first under the name Cafetano, and then Soluna, when a mezcal bar was added. Soluna closed at the end of September.