St. Augustine’s coffee scene is getting a fresh jolt, with Ellianos Coffee gearing up to open its first local shop at 3465 U.S. 1, Suite 101. Franchisee Mike Soares is aiming to unlock the doors by Labor Day, bringing a compact setup that pairs a single-lane drive-thru with indoor seating, the brand’s first end-cap, café-style location in Florida.
Ellianos announced the project on its company blog, calling the St. Augustine shop its first end-cap café in the state and noting that the chain launched in Lake City in 2002 and has since grown to dozens of locations, according to Ellianos. The company said the new format is designed to add a sit-down option while keeping its quick-service drive-thru roots intact.
Permits, Size And Site
St. Johns County issued a permit in December for the project and listed a $1.85 million build-out for a roughly 1,450-square-foot shop, with about 448 square feet reserved for seating and a single drive-thru window, as reported by Jax Daily Record. Plans place the cafe in a 12,532-square-foot shopping center at the northwest corner of U.S. 1 and Old Moultrie Road, roughly 1.5 miles north of the Moultrie Square Publix.
Franchisee Timeline And Fit
Soares, a first-time Ellianos franchisee, told What Now, "I'm hoping to have us open by Labor Day," and the outlet reports interior buildout is expected to start this month. He said he was drawn to Ellianos after moving to Florida and liked the brand’s combination of fast service and what he called top-quality coffee.
Regional Expansion And Local Impact
Local business reporting shows Ellianos has been expanding across Northeast Florida, with multiple locations open or in development across Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties, according to Jax Daily Record. The end-cap cafe format marks a tweak to the chain’s usual kiosk model and gives St. Augustine a sit-down option that many of the brand’s existing drive-thru sites do not offer.
Soares and the company say they will post construction updates as the project moves forward, and What Now points readers to Ellianos’ Instagram for progress photos and announcements. Expect a formal opening date and menu details to follow as the buildout begins.
