Rob Mitchell, of Sabi

Sabi Asian Bistro, a new East-West fusion restaurant serving everything from sushi to steak, opens this weekend at Harbour Place, on the first roundabout off I-77’s Exit 30. The restaurant grew out of a friendship between Charlotte entrepreneur Rob Mitchell and Chinese-born chef Tau Keung “Ken” Yung. We talked to the men Tuesday as they put the finishing touches on the new eatery.

Also in this report: Snap Fitness opens at Exit 30; Donatos pizza opens this week; and Fresh Market now open in Cornelius.

SABI OPENS FRIDAY

Sabi, at 130 Harbour Place Drive, has been hiring wait staff as it prepares for its debut on Friday, Oct. 24. Opening day will feature a Casino Night fund-raiser for the charity Ace & TJ’s Grin Kids fom 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Sabi is a Japanese word that translates as “beauty that comes with age.” The spacious 190-seat restaurant is new, but Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Yung have tried to create a mood with old-style woods in the bar, a sushi bar and a dining area. The corner location also has an outdoor patio ringed with gas lamps.

The idea for the restaurant grew out of Mr. Mitchell’s love of Asian food and his friendship with Mr. Yung, whom he met at Mr. Yung’s Charlotte restaurant Red Bull. “I started eating sushi about five years ago and fell in love with it,” he said.

Mr. Mitchell owns Atlantic Window Coverings in Charlotte. Although not a restaurateur (“I am a professional eater,” he jokes) he decided he wanted to start a restaurant of his own. And Mr. Yung wanted to do something different from a typical Chinese restaurant. When the ground-floor restaurant became available at the new Harbour Place development became, the men jumped at the chance.

They have designed a menu Mr. Mitchell describes as “East Meets West,” which also describes their friendship. Mr. Yung said, “We try to do things in combination. It’s a partnership.” Added Mr. Mitchell, “It’s as much about two cultures coming together as forming a business,” he said.

Entrees at Sabi will range from $10 to $15, though some specials could run $18 to $25. The final menu was still in the works Tuesday, but it’s likely to include Chinese, Thai, and Japanese dishes as well as western foods such as crab cakes, ribs and pork chops.

Jeff Parks, the bar manager, has also picked out a selection of unique champagnes, white and red wines, including some imported vintages that won’t be served anywhere else in North Carolina, he said.

As it prepares for opening day, Sabi’s kitchen is already at work. The restaurant has formed an unusual partnership with nearby Davidson Day School (where Mr. Mitchell’s children go), providing lunches three days a week.

Tickets for Friday’s fund-raiser are $75 per person, $100 per couple. The event is organized by Kiss 95.1 radio hosts Ace & TJ and Telesource, a telecommunications consulting firm with offices upstairs from the restaurant.

Amie Cennamo

DOORS OPEN AT SNAP FITNESS

Just a couple of doors down from Sabi at 130 Harbour Place Drive, a new fitness business called Snap Fitness opened its doors on Monday, Oct. 20.

Owners Victor and Amie Cennamo said the club provides a “conventient, less-expensive and non-intimidating alternative” to “big-box” competitors. “We cut costly and space-consuming amenities – pools, ball courts, child care, etc. – debunking the ‘bigger is better’ mentality and focusing on a high quality, not quantity, workout experience for people of all fitness levels,” she said in a press release.

Unlike some other clubs, Snap Fitness requires no contracts. Members pay month to month, and have access to nearly 800 Snap Fitness clubs in North America. The clubs are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Ms. Cennamo also is part owner of a Snap Fitness center in the Renaissance Square shopping center at N.C. 73 and Poplar Tent Road east of Davdson.

For more information or tour, call Ms. Cennamo at 704-895-7474. More about the business at snapfitness.com.

DONATOS OPENS THIS WEEK

We stopped this week in at Davidson Commons shopping center (at the Harris Teeter) to check out construction at Donatos. Owner Mark Ourant told us he was planning to open today (Wednesday, Oct. 22), if work is completed.

The Davidson store is the 12th for Mr. Ourant’s franchise group, and a 13th is on the way. He said. The business sells pizza, subs, and salads. Hours will be Sundays to Thursdays, 11-11; Fridays and Saturdays, 11-midnight. More about Donatos restaurants, online ordering, specials and coupons: http://www.donatos.com

FRESH MARKET NOW OPEN

Fresh Market, a Greensboro-based chain of upscale grocery stores, opened its new store at the former Harris Teeter location, off Exit 28 in Cornelius on Oct. 15. The manager is Eric Everhart.

The store, which will compete directly with the Harris Teeter at Exit 30 in Davidson, has an in-store bakery, butcher shop and fish market; a deli; a flower stand, and large produce department with fresh and organic fruits and vegetables. The store’s design is designed to have the atmosphere of an “old world European market,” according to its website.

The store plans a Tasting of the Holidays sampling event on Friday, Nov. 7, noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors will be able to sample holiday foods available for sale, including a fully prepared holiday meal as well as items from the bakery, seafood and produce departments.

The store is at 20623 Torrence Chapel Road. Hours are Mondays to Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Phone: 704-892-8802. Web: www.thefreshmarket.com.