After several months of organizational efforts in the Cape Fear area, Slow Money NC has made its first financial impact locally, the group announced Friday.

Tamashii Sushi and Spoons restaurant, which opened Aug. 9, received some of its startup financing through the organization, which aims to help businesses that focus on sustainable practices and local food sources.

Slow Money NC, headquartered in Chatham County, is part of a national movement named to reflect the Slow Food movement in the country. The organization is focused on restoring local food economies by investing in local, sustainable food enterprises. Its vision is to build a loan fund via investors and donors and steer that capital to small food enterprises, organic farms and local food systems.

“Helping launch the first sustainable sushi restaurant in the Southeast is an exciting opportunity for Slow Money NC and exactly the kind of project we want to support,” said Carol Peppe Hewitt, the organization’s co-founder and operations director.

“The money from Slow Money NC enabled us to install a filtered water system that eliminates the need for plastic water bottles,” Tamashii co-owner and chef Mark Scharaga said. “I really like the concept of Slow Money, and Carol was a great help to us.

Tamashii, 4039 Masonboro Loop Road, offers a full menu of primarily sustainably harvested or sourced seafood. Information about Slow Money NC is at www.slowmoneync.org.