A Michigan-based chain known for croffles and elaborate desserts has planted its first North Carolina flag in Plaza Midwood. Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe is now open at 1226 Central Ave., next door to Papi Ricko and near Haraz, serving a sprawling menu of breakfast plates, smoothies and sweets.
The opening was reported by Axios, whose Alexis Clinton described the cafe's spread as a large menu of breakfast and dessert items. The chain's drink lineup includes coffee, tea, smoothies, milkshakes, refreshers and fresh-pressed juices, while the food side runs through acai bowls, pancakes, crepes and sandwiches, according to the outlet's reporting.
On the dessert front, the cafe's own menu lists strawberries dipped in Belgian chocolate with both white and dark coatings, according to Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe's food menu. Savory options include a smoked salmon croffle built with cream cheese, sliced lemon, capers and dill, plus a scrambled-egg combination with tomatoes, cheddar cheese and avocado.
Croffles and a Crowded Plaza Midwood Scene
Those croffles that put the chain on the map are croissant dough smashed into waffle form and built into sandwiches, per the same report. Bora Bora joins a recent wave of openings in the neighborhood, arriving alongside La Vecina and Postino WineCafe as Plaza Midwood's food-and-drink scene keeps filling in.
The cafe's listed address on its own site is 1226 Central Ave., Suite B, Charlotte, NC 28204, according to boraborasmoothiecafe.com. According to the Axios report, hours run 6am to 11pm Monday through Thursday, 6am to 1am Friday and Saturday, and 6am to 11:30pm on Sunday.
Part of a Wider Expansion Push
Charlotte is not the only new market the chain has been eyeing. WhatNow reported that Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe was planning its first foray into Georgia, with the brand at the time counting 28 locations spread across 12 states including Michigan, Texas, Florida and Virginia, according to WhatNow.
That Georgia push centers on a leased space at 950 W. Peachtree St. NW for a location at Plaza Midtown in Atlanta, the outlet's reporting states. Franchise owner Mohammed Salman told the publication the Atlanta spot was in the construction phase, with the team targeting an opening in four to six months.
Back in Charlotte, the new cafe gives Plaza Midwood another all-day option for smoothies and sweets, slotting into a strip of the neighborhood that has seen steady turnover in recent openings. Whether more Bora Bora locations follow in North Carolina remains to be seen, but for now the Central Avenue shop marks the brand's entry into the state.
