Blended Açaí Bar is opening its second location at 119 S. Main St. in Urbana on Saturday, and the first 100 customers who order a small bowl that day will get it for free. The new 1,200-square-foot shop seats 30 people and marks the first expansion for owners Jillian King and Tyler King since they opened their original storefront in Springfield in 2024.
The Urbana opening builds on a concept Jillian King first tested decades earlier with a hand-built, 6-by-12-foot pull-behind trailer called Blended by J, according to the Springfield News-Sun. That trailer still makes appearances at county fairs and special events, the outlet reports, but it was the 2024 decision to put down permanent roots at 30 N. Fountain Ave. in Springfield that turned the idea into a full-fledged business. Jillian King credits the local community, her family and her staff with making that first shop a success, and the concept itself traces back to travel experiences built around fresh fruit and bowls, per the same account.
The Urbana location sits inside a commercial building that dates to around 1900 and last sold for $190,000 in a transaction closed on March 30, 2026, according to Trulia. Jeff King, who supported the business, handled the renovation of the new space's interior, the Springfield News-Sun reports. The result is a bright, well-lit interior with colorful accents, modern furniture and warm neutral tones designed to seat 30 guests comfortably.
A Building With Its Own History
Long before açaí bowls arrived on Main Street, the same storefront had a very different purpose. Historic property archives show the building was occupied in 1930 by the J.A. Shuemaker and Atwater Radio Store, according to the Champaign County Historical Society, with old photographs depicting the storefront as an appliance and radio shop complete with delivery vehicles out front.
That century-plus of commercial use fits neatly into the identity of downtown Urbana's Monument Square District, which has seen a steady wave of revitalization in recent years. A push documented by Hub Springfield brought six specialty retail shops, new dining options and second-floor residential lofts into historic storefronts in the district, part of an effort by local merchant organizers to diversify downtown with independent, non-chain businesses.
Part Of A Broader Downtown Push
Blended Açaí Bar's arrival also lands amid a wider 2026 commercial influx in Urbana. New arrivals this year have included a Jersey Mike's sub shop, Aloha Wok bar and grill, and M&M Diner, according to the Urbana Daily Citizen, with several food businesses relocating this year following property sales on Scioto Street. Urbana itself serves roughly 11,793 residents across 7.77 square miles as the county seat of Champaign County, per municipal records.
The new shop sits about 15 miles north of the original Springfield location along the Route 68 corridor, with both storefronts anchoring downtown districts in adjacent West Central Ohio county seats, according to WanderBoat AI. For Jillian and Tyler King, both natives of Springfield who have a 1-year-old daughter named Joey, the Urbana shop represents a short drive but a meaningful second bet on the region's downtown foot traffic.
What's On The Menu
The Urbana location will offer six bowls, up from the three originally available at the Springfield shop, the Springfield News-Sun reports. Every bowl is built on organic açaí berries and granola, with the berries prized for their antioxidants, healthy fats and fiber. Guests can customize their orders with fruit, seeds, nuts, Nutella and peanut butter for a nominal additional charge.
The signature Islander Bowl includes banana, pineapple, lilikoi honey and coconut sorbet. Pricing runs from $7 for kids bowls to $10 for small bowls and $13 for large bowls. The business says it maintains exact standards for its produce, and staff will search local stores for ingredients that meet those standards.
Industry Tailwinds Behind The Expansion
The timing lines up with broader momentum in the health-food sector. The global açaí bowl shop market reached an estimated $2.31 billion valuation in 2026 and is projected to grow at a 7.8% compound annual rate through 2034, according to Data Insights Reports. Frozen açaí pulp, which must be processed within 24 hours of harvest to preserve its nutritional value, accounted for 63.6% of the North American açaí market in 2025, per Market Data Forecast, while North America overall represented nearly half of global açaí berry market revenue that year, according to Polaris Market Research.
Dedicated smoothie and bowl bars now hold the largest distribution channel share in a global smoothies and healthy bowl market valued at $16.1 billion in 2026, according to Grand View Research. That national appetite for antioxidant-rich, fast-casual options gives small-town expansions like Urbana's new shop a tailwind beyond the local foot traffic Monument Square has been building.
Jillian King holds a degree in international studies from the University of Dayton. Blended Açaí Bar in Urbana will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, closed Mondays, and can be reached at 326-209-5722. Saturday's free-bowl promotion for the first 100 customers is sponsored by Mo Carpenter, with the first 50 bowls sponsored by the Weiss family and Dream Home Realty.
