Earth is already turning at 4940 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, where Ellianos Coffee has officially broken ground on a new single-lane drive-thru in east St. Cloud. The Lake City-born brand expects the shop to open later this year, adding another caffeine stop to its rapidly growing Central Florida footprint.
According to Positively Osceola, crews are already at work on the East US-192 site, which will serve up Ellianos’ quick-service breakfast and espresso lineup along one of Osceola County’s faster-growing corridors. The outlet also notes that the company recently opened another store in Winter Springs and has more Orlando-area locations in the pipeline.
Growth And Recognition
Ellianos was founded in 2002 in Lake City and has grown from a single hometown shop into a regional drive-thru chain. In a company release, Ellianos Coffee reports it now operates roughly 74 stores, with more than 200 additional locations open or in development across eight states.
The brand also landed on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2026 Franchise 500 list, a nod the company holds up as proof that its growth strategy is working.
Menu And Drive-Thru Model
Ellianos has built its reputation on handcrafted espresso drinks, frozen "Freezers" specialty beverages, and a grab-and-go breakfast menu that includes grit bowls topped with eggs and proteins. Those staples, paired with the chain’s emphasis on speed at the drive-thru window, are central to why it is betting on further Central Florida expansion, according to Positively Osceola.
What This Means For St. Cloud
For commuters and families along the busy US-192 corridor, the new Ellianos will add one more early-morning and mid-day option in a stretch that has seen plenty of recent development activity from retailers and builders.
The company lists a Winter Springs shop at 1483 E. State Rd. 434 on its website and says it is actively recruiting franchise partners throughout the Southeast as it scales. Ellianos and the brand’s franchising materials detail recent openings and projects that are still in the works.
Company president Lawton Unrau said the team is eager to serve guests with the speed, quality, and hospitality that have turned Ellianos into a daily habit for many Floridians. Beyond the general promise of an opening later this year, specific construction and launch dates have not yet been announced, and this story will be updated once the company sets a firm timeline.
