A new Ellianos Coffee drive-thru opens Wednesday at 2259 S. Pine Avenue in Ocala, marking the fifth location of the Lake City-bred chain to land in the immediate area, according to 352today. The opening caps a project that has been in the works since February, and it arrives with a launch-day contest offering a $100 gift card and other prizes to celebrate.
According to 352today, the Pine Avenue shop is being run by the Crews family, a father-and-son team with a background in trucking who made the leap into coffee franchising, as reported by Ellianos Coffee. The outlet also reports the Crews family has a second location planned for SW 20th Street, chosen to capture student and faculty traffic near the College of Central Florida.
Why Pine Avenue Made the Cut
The S. Pine Avenue site was selected for its heavy traffic and easy access to downtown Ocala offices and neighborhoods, sitting near major north-south arterial routes in Marion County, the same local outlet's reporting notes. Ahead of opening, the building got a community-minded makeover: artist Christian Stanley painted a custom exterior mural depicting Ocala landmarks including the Clock Tower, Marion Theatre, Downtown Square, and the Silver Springs glass-bottom boats, according to the Ellianos Coffee Ocala Facebook page. The mural was commissioned over the summer specifically to reflect local heritage on the building's facade.
The opening-day photo circulating shows the Pine Avenue building decorated with festive flowers and scarecrow decorations for the occasion, per 352today's report. Most area Ellianos locations open at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on Sundays, typically closing sometime between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., though the new Pine Avenue store has not yet announced its own operational hours.
How to Enter the Launch Contest
To celebrate the opening, Ellianos is running an online contest requiring entrants to follow the Pine Avenue location on Facebook and Instagram, like the relevant post, and tag three friends in the comments. As noted by 352today, the prize package includes the $100 gift card, a Jellycat espresso cup, a one-pound bag of Ellianos signature blend coffee, a custom Pine Avenue T-shirt, and two tumblers — one stainless steel and one glass.
Each of the three friends tagged in a winning comment will also receive seven gift cards for free coffee, redeemable only at the Pine Avenue location, 352today reports. Entries close at noon on opening day.
A Growing Local Footprint
Pine Avenue's new store is the fifth Ellianos location in the immediate Ocala area, and it illustrates how the chain's local growth isn't run by one corporate operator. Ocala-News.com reports that Emery Abshier opened the Belleview location in February 2024 and that Emery and Selena Abshier opened a Maricamp Road store this past July. Other county locations include Ellianos shops at 7682 SW Highway 200 and 101 SW 60th Avenue.
Ellianos Coffee itself traces back to 2002 in Lake City, when founders Scott and Pam Stewart, already experienced pizza franchisees, launched the drive-thru specialty coffee concept after observing double-sided drive-thru kiosks during a trip to the Pacific Northwest, per a report from Ellianos Coffee. By December 19, 2025, the chain had grown to 73 operating locations across the Southeast, with more than 200 additional stores in various stages of development.
Riding a National Drive-Thru Wave
The Pine Avenue opening brings another drive-thru coffee option to Ocala.
Ellianos also offers energy drinks. Hoodline has also reported on Dutch Bros and regional competition.
