A new dessert and smoothie shop has opened at 5807 Leesburg Pike in Bailey's Crossroads, bringing acai bowls, croffles and soft-serve ice cream to a stretch of Route 7 that has seen its share of commercial turnover. Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe's menu spans power smoothies, regular smoothies, milkshakes, juices, acai bowls and other fruity bowls, along with crepes, waffles, croffles, sandwiches, fruity drinks and soft-serve ice cream.
According to Annandale Today, the Bailey's Crossroads location occupies a building with a layered commercial history. Joe's Place Pizza and Pasta ran there from the early 1980s until 2007, and TitleMax later moved into the space after the pizzeria closed. The building had sat empty following TitleMax's departure before Bora Bora took over.
Separately, property records reviewed by Realtor.com for a building at 5870 Leesburg Pike in Bailey's Crossroads show that it was constructed in 1999 and last sold in 2007 for $1.75 million. The building's history includes Joe's Place Pizza and Pasta and TitleMax, as well as a period of vacancy before Bora Bora took over. The reuse of the building adds an active business to the Bailey's Crossroads and Seven Corners area. Per county planning documents cited by Fairfax County Government, property owners in that district can tap Economic Incentive Program tax abatements and expedited site plans to convert vacant commercial buildings into active businesses.
From Dearborn Startup to National Franchise
Bora Bora was founded in Dearborn, Michigan in 2023, per the seed reporting, and has since grown into a franchise operation with 34 locations across 15 states. The brand's roots trace back further than its Michigan founding, though. Its Washington, D.C.-area debut actually came earlier this year, when the chain opened a 500-square-foot kiosk on Level 1 near Macy's at Tysons Corner Center, an outpost franchise leadership said was meant to build regional brand recognition ahead of standalone locations, as reported by FFXnow.
FFXnow's reporting also traces the chain's origins to a Kuwait-based juice concept whose U.S. arm is affiliated with Bora Bora Juice, a brand with planned branches in New York City, Brooklyn and Florida. Before the Bailey's Crossroads shop could open its doors, Fairfax County approved a food establishment permit in November 2025 for the 5870 Leesburg Pike space, specifying indoor seating for 45 patrons and daily operating hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to the same outlet.
Rapid Growth Brings Legal and Regulatory Scrutiny
The chain's expansion has moved fast elsewhere in the country. WhatNow Atlanta reported in March that Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe had grown to 28 locations across 12 states, with its heaviest concentration in New York, while actively signing commercial leases to enter Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina, according to WhatNow Atlanta.
That growth hasn't been without friction. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records show that trademark owner BoraBora Fruit Juices, Inc. filed a Notice of Opposition in July 2024 against applicant Bora Bora America Corp. over federal registration of the Bora Bora Smoothie Café logo and service mark, citing potential consumer confusion, according to filings on USPTO TTABVue. Hoodline has also reported on health violations shuttering a joint at a Harlem Bora Bora location this past summer, and previously covered openings in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and near Disney in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
A Late-Night Dessert Niche Along a Busy Corridor
Late-night, alcohol-free Yemeni coffee shops are part of a broader dining trend.
The new shop sits along a section of Leesburg Pike that has drawn safety attention in recent years. The Virginia Department of Transportation lowered the posted speed limit through Bailey's Crossroads from 40 mph to 35 mph in March 2023 following traffic studies and community petition drives prompted by frequent crashes, according to Annandale Today. The corridor remains a focus of local safety concerns.
