South Block is coming to the Spectrum at Reston Town Center, taking the place of another longstanding juice shop.
The rapidly growing D.C.-area chain has applied for a building permit from Fairfax County to renovate the 1,234-square-foot space at 1835 Fountain Drive, which currently houses Robeks.
Robeks didn’t respond to an inquiry from FFXnow by press time, and a worker at the Reston store declined to comment when asked about the impending closure. A person with property owner Lerner’s retail team, however, says the shop will be closing at the end of June.
Like all Robeks locations, the Reston shop is an independently owned and operated franchise, specializing in fresh juices and smoothies. It has been in business at the Spectrum since at least August 2008 — the time of its oldest Yelp review.
Fortunately, local residents won’t have to go too long without their juice fix: South Block anticipates opening its new Reston location in late 2025, founder and CEO Amir Mostafavi says.
“The Reston community has been on our radar for a number of years!” Mostafavi told FFXnow by email. “We love Reston and always knew we would end up here with a South Block location one day. We’ve had many requests to be here over the years and have just been waiting for the right opportunity.”
A longtime Fairfax County resident, Mostafavi graduated from McLean High School and grew up helping out his parents at their now-shuttered Box Office Video store, experience that proved valuable when he began working on a business of his own.
Mostafavi opened his first juice bar, Campus Fresh, on George Washington University’s campus in 2006 and launched South Block in Arlington’s Clarendon neighborhood five years later. Initially named South Block Smoothie and Burrito Co., the cafe emphasized the healthiness of its fruit smoothies, açai bowls, burritos, soups and other items.
While burritos and soup are no longer on the menu, South Block still serves a variety of juices and smoothies — in both bowl and cup form — along with açai bowls, shakes, and avocado and almond toast.
Over the past decade-plus, the chain has expanded to 18 locations throughout the D.C. area, including one in Mostafavi’s home of McLean and recent additions in Fairfax City, Springfield and Dulles International Airport. Its first North Carolina location will open in Charlotte in late 2025, according to its website.
Mostafavi says Spectrum at Reston Town Center seemed like a “perfect fit” for South Block, especially with Whole Foods Market making its way to the shopping center.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring our good vibes, açai bowls, smoothies, and juices to this amazing community!” he said.
