Vilano Beach just picked up a new coastal hangout. Anchor 28, a locally owned restaurant, quietly soft-opened this week inside the Holiday Inn Express in Vilano Beach, easing into service with breakfast and lunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a limited dinner window from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. A larger, splashier grand-opening celebration is set for June 29.
The official site for Anchor 28 lists the address as 140 Vilano Rd, Ste-B inside the hotel and highlights indoor and outdoor seating, a full bar serving cocktails and mocktails, and a coastal menu tailored to First Coast tastes, with soft-opening service beginning June 18. The site notes that a full menu is "coming soon" while select dishes are being served during the soft-open period.
Inside Anchor 28
A short video post shows off the dining room, a shaded patio and bartenders mixing drinks while the owners introduce a "coastal" lineup aimed at both locals and out-of-towners. The post announces the soft opening, confirms the June 29 grand opening and underscores that the spot is a locally owned addition to the Vilano dining scene, as seen in a St. Augustine Facebook reel.
A New Neighbor At Holiday Inn Express
The restaurant fills ground-floor retail space at the Holiday Inn Express on Vilano Road, a short walk from the pier and the beach, and joins other hotel dining options. The hotel listing confirms the address and amenities that help make the location convenient for travelers and nearby residents alike, according to Holiday Inn Express - St. Augustine.
Anchor 28 provides a phone number and email for reservations and events and notes that soft-opening menus are posted online, with expanded menus and full hours expected after the June 29 celebration. For contact details and the most current hours, see Anchor 28.
The opening follows months of planning. Local reporting from late 2025 noted that Anchor 28 Investment LLC had filed plan-review paperwork for a hotel restaurant at the site, though the name and details were listed as "TBD" at the time. That early coverage tracks how the project moved from permitting into service, as reported by What Now.
