From 31 Years in the Vineland Classroom to Berry Chill Tara Gardner’s Next Chapter

For Tara Gardner, Vineland isn’t simply where she opened a business. It’s home.

She grew up in Vineland, spent 31 years teaching in the community, and today, she’s beginning another chapter as the owner of Berry Chill Vineland.

Tara recently sat down with Mark Samuels on South Jersey Spotlight to share the story behind Berry Chill, her journey from teacher to entrepreneur, and the reason a familiar Vineland business now has a new name.

An Açaí Bowl Started the Journey

The idea began several years ago during a family vacation to North Carolina.

Tara tried an açaí bowl for the first time and loved it. When she returned home, she realized there weren’t many places in the area offering that type of food.

That simple experience planted the seed for what would eventually become a business.

In 2019, Luna Soul & Bowls opened its Ocean View location. Tara was still teaching at the time and working alongside her niece, who was heavily involved in yoga.

Then, only months after opening, COVID hit.

Like countless small business owners, Tara suddenly had to figure out how to keep moving forward in circumstances nobody could have predicted.

Because the food portion of the business was able to remain open, they adapted by offering takeout and bringing orders directly to customers in their cars.

They made it through.

Coming Home to Vineland

Tara retired from teaching on January 1, 2025, but retirement didn’t mean slowing down.

Her attention turned to Vineland.

Tara and her husband found a location at the corner of Lincoln and Dante, formerly home to Photo Quick. The property needed serious work.

Instead of simply hiring someone else to handle everything, Tara and her husband spent approximately three months working on the building themselves.

They worked from the ceiling tiles down to the floors, transforming the space into the next chapter of Tara’s journey.

The Vineland location opened on April 1, 2025.

For Tara, opening in Vineland meant something different.

This was the community where she grew up.

It was where she went to school.

It was where she spent decades teaching.

Now, she was serving many of those same families from the other side of the counter.

Former students still walk through the doors and recognize their former teacher.

Why Luna Soul & Bowls Became Berry Chill

The name change naturally raised questions around the community.

What happened to Luna Soul & Bowls?

Was the Vineland location leaving?

Was there a new owner?

According to Tara, the answer is much simpler.

As the Ocean View and Vineland locations developed, their menus and visions began moving in different directions. Tara’s niece had her own vision for Ocean View, while Tara had ideas for what she wanted to create in Vineland.

Eventually, Tara and her husband were able to create their own business and brand.

Berry Chill was born.

The name may have changed, but Tara hasn’t gone anywhere.

Berry Chill gives her the freedom to develop her own menu, introduce new products, and build the business around her vision.

More Than Açaí Bowls

One of the biggest changes under Berry Chill is the expanded menu.

Customers aren’t limited to açaí.

Berry Chill offers several freshly prepared bases, including açaí, pitaya, mango, and pineapple coconut.

Tara says the bases are made in-house without added preservatives or added sugar.

The menu has also expanded to include smoothies, protein options, salads, sandwiches, gluten-free choices, and Chill Bites, giving customers more options when they’re looking for a quick, protein-based snack.

Tara has even introduced a base flight, giving customers an opportunity to sample different flavors instead of committing to just one.

For Tara, the goal is to continue experimenting, creating, and giving customers new reasons to come through the doors.

Balance. Wellness. Nourishment. Community.

Berry Chill is about healthy food, but Tara’s connection to Vineland goes beyond what she serves.

She continues looking for opportunities to support the community that she has been part of for most of her life.

Berry Chill has worked with local schools, provided lunches for teachers, and participated in community partnerships. Tara has also discussed supporting organizations and causes including the Vineland Soup Kitchen, Relay for Life, and local student athletes.

That community connection is something she wants to maintain as the business grows.

For Tara, customers aren’t simply transactions.

She enjoys knowing the people who walk through her doors, talking with them, and developing relationships.

After spending decades in Vineland’s schools, that sense of community seems to have followed her directly into entrepreneurship.

Starting Over Doesn’t Have an Age Limit

Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of Tara Gardner’s story is when she chose to become an entrepreneur.

She had already completed a 31-year career in education.

She could have retired and stopped there.

Instead, she started building.

Her story is a reminder that finishing one chapter of your life doesn’t mean the story is over.

Sometimes, it’s an opportunity to finally pursue the idea that’s been sitting in the back of your mind for years.

Tara remembers her father, who was a businessman, telling her when she was younger that while teaching was a noble profession, he always thought she might do something else too.

Decades later, those words stayed with her.

Today, the teacher has become the entrepreneur.

And she’s doing it in the same community where so much of her story began.

What’s Next for Berry Chill?

Tara isn’t finished.

In addition to Vineland, she and her husband have opened another Berry Chill location in Egg Harbor Township, giving them another opportunity to grow the brand and introduce their menu to a new community.

There will undoubtedly be challenges along the way.

Tara is open about the fact that running a business isn’t as easy as it may look from the outside. There are mistakes, long days, and constant adjustments.

Her philosophy is simple:

Keep working on yourself. Keep improving the product. Keep improving the relationship with the customer.

That’s the next chapter of Tara Gardner’s story.

From teacher to entrepreneur.

From Luna Soul & Bowls to Berry Chill.

And through all of it, Vineland remains home.

South Jersey Spotlight

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