Jacksonville is about to get another caffeine-fueled drive-thru option as Boost Coffee & Energy, a new concept from local franchise veterans Mike Murray and Joe Herlihy, gears up to open on the Westside in May. The compact dual-lane kiosk is designed to crank out freshly roasted coffee, protein-forward drinks and cleaner energy beverages, all aimed squarely at younger, wellness-minded customers. This first shop is the opening move in a planned North Florida rollout that includes locations in St. Augustine, Yulee and Palm Coast over the next several months.
According to the Jacksonville Daily Record, the Westside site at 7253 103rd St. in the Cedar Hills area was acquired in early February, with city permits for a roughly 790-square-foot conversion issued later that month. The partners say the second corporate location is set for St. Augustine in August, while two more shops in Yulee and Palm Coast are expected as permits and construction timelines fall into place. Investor materials referenced in the article show a preferred 600- to 800-square-foot modular, dual-lane drive-thru model, with an estimated unit investment of about $800,000 to $1.25 million.
Menu, Tech And The Brand Pitch
Boost's menu leans into energy drinks, protein lattes, refreshers, smoothies, coffee and small snacks, with a heavy emphasis on speed and cleaner ingredients, according to Boost's website. The company describes its concept as combining "fresh-roasted coffee, clean energy drinks, and protein-powered fuel into one fast, friendly stop" and highlights app ordering and rewards as part of its service playbook. That tech layer and product mix are central to the founders' plan to court an 18-to-50 crowd that treats coffee and energy drinks as all-day staples instead of just a morning ritual.
Site Specs And Kiosk Footprint
The Cedar Hills property sits on roughly 0.49 acres, putting the kiosk on a tight outparcel that suits a dual-lane drive-thru layout, according to commercial listing data. That smaller footprint is intended for shopping center corners where convenience and quick in-and-out visits drive repeat business. The modular format is pitched as a way to open quickly, tweak service flow and dial in operations before moving into larger builds or shifting heavily into franchising.
Business Case And Rollout
The brand's strategy is built on premium coffee trends and a fast-growing energy drink category, with investor materials projecting an aggressive expansion if the early corporate locations perform. The presentation, as reported by the Jacksonville Daily Record, cites a U.S. coffee market estimated at about $91 billion in 2025 and an energy drink market near $25 billion in 2024, and it forecasts potential growth to roughly 450 U.S. locations by 2030. By owning the first wave of shops, the partners say they plan to refine staffing, roasting and service flow before opening the system to franchisees in late 2027.
If that timeline holds, Jacksonville customers should be pulling up to the first Boost drive-thru window this May, followed by St. Augustine in August as the company road-tests its operations. From there, how the kiosks perform on speed, quality and staffing will determine whether Boost becomes a fixture across North Florida or settles into a tighter regional niche.
