A year after the opening of its first store, Brazilian-themed Easy Acai is moving forward with a location in The Pavilion at Durbin Park in St. Johns County.
The new restaurant will be at 935 Durbin Pavilion Drive, Suite 102, in an outparcel of the shopping center anchored by a Walmart Supercenter west of Interstate 95.
The space is a former Great American Cookies. It is near AT&T, Hair Cuttery, Sushi Burrito and Starbucks.
It will be its second location in the county. The first is at 278 Solana Road in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Easy Acai serves smoothies, juices, empanadas and other Brazilian-inspired items including cheese bread and coxinha, a fried pastry filled with chicken.
The county issued a permit Jan. 9 to Jacksonville-based AEC Integrated LLC for the $25,000 interior build-out. The county issued a wall signage permit Feb. 26 to Shark Signs of NE FL Inc. to install signs at a cost of $13,000.
Doug Rowland and his wife, Katia, are the Easy Açaí founders.
“It has been an incredible year of growth, hard work and dedication to providing our customers with the best açaí experience. As we reflect on our first year in business, we’re incredibly grateful for the support of our community, partners and customers who have made this possible,” the company said in a LinkedIn post.
“As we continue to expand and refine our offerings, we remain committed to excellence in both our products and customer service. We’re excited to celebrate this achievement and look forward to many more years of serving our community with healthy, delicious options.”
According to EasyAcai.com, “We are deeply passionate about introducing a product that is not only authentic but also healthy, delicious and convenient. We pride ourselves on being a compassionate company committed to giving back to the communities in Brazil where we source these treasures and nurturing the land that produces these exceptional foods.”
No opening date for the Durbin Park location has been announced.
The company franchises, according to its website.