South Block, a fast-casual restaurant chain known for its acai and cold-pressed juices, is opening its first North Carolina location in Ballantyne, with another Charlotte shop planned for Plaza Midwood later this year.

Why it matters: Charlotte is the company’s first market beyond Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The move signals confidence in the city’s growing fitness and wellness scene.

Driving the news: South Block opens Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Bowl at Ballantyne.

Zoom in: South Block’s acai bowls are made to order using fresh fruit, natural nut milks, juices and superfood supplements.

• Founder Amir Mostafavi learned how to prepare acai the “traditional way” from a surfer in San Diego nearly 20 years ago, and South Block still follows that method.
• “People think they’ve had an acai bowl before, but they’ve never tasted anything like the bowls that we make,” Mostafavi tells Axios.

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