Franchising veterans Mike Murray and Joe Herlihy draw energy from brand growth, so their drive to start a new brand isn’t a shock to the system.
Based in Jacksonville, the two are launching Boost Coffee & Energy, a drive-thru brand that sells caffeinated and other drinks. Murray and Herlihy say they consider Boost to be a challenger brand focused on higher quality ingredients than those commonly available.
“What drew me to coffee and energy was watching a cultural shift happen in real time,” Murray said.
“Coffee is no longer just a morning ritual; it’s an all-day lifestyle. And alongside that, we’re seeing a surging demand for energy drinks and healthier alternatives to what’s currently on the market,” he said.
“Most of what’s out there is loaded with artificial ingredients and fillers. I saw a gap, and I saw an opportunity.”
Boost Coffee & Energy’s menu includes energy drinks, protein lattes, refreshers, protein shakes, smoothies, coffee, teas, Boost sodas, kids’ drinks and snacks, including brownies, coffee cake, lemon loaf and pistachios.
It says at BoostCoffeeEnergy.com that it blends “fresh-roasted coffee, clean energy drinks, and protein-powered fuel into one fast, friendly stop.” The brand is setting up in-house roasting technology at each location.
Like many drive-thru quick-service restaurants, Boost Coffee & Energy favors a 600- to 800-square-foot modular unit with a dual-lane drive-thru design. A corporate presentation shows that preferred site specifications are outparcels from 12,000 square feet to a half-acre.
Murray said the first location, in Jacksonville’s Westside area in Duval County, is set to open in May, followed in August by one along Old County Road 210 in St. Augustine in St. Johns County.
Two more locations, in Yulee in Nassau County and in Palm Coast in Flagler County, are expected to be announced as permits and timelines are confirmed.
The Yulee location is planned at the Shoppes at Midtown at northeast U.S. 17 and Florida 200, near Wildlight.
Murray said that from there, the partners plan to roll out about 10 corporate locations across North Florida before franchise sales begin in late 2027.
The initial locations will be corporate-owned so that the partners can build and refine the model. That means that “when we do bring on franchise partners, we’re handing them a proven, polished system with a focus on unit level economics,” Murray said.
Murray said they would add corporate locations in the Salt Lake City area this year to further develop and test the brand before franchising.
The first three locations
• In Jacksonville, Boost is building-out at a former Dairy Queen in the Cedar Hills area of West Jacksonville. Skyline Construction Inc. of Jacksonville is the contractor to convert the site into a 790-square-foot dual-lane drive-thru at 7253 103rd St., about a half-mile west of Interstate 295. The city issued permits for the build-out Feb. 19 and for three signs for Boost Coffee on Feb. 16. Shark Signs of NE FL Inc. is the contractor. Tidewater Growth Partners LLC paid $925,000 for the 0.49-acre site Feb. 5. The Duval County Property Appraiser shows the 774-square-foot building was developed in 2001.
• In St. Augustine, power provider JEA issued a service availability letter Feb. 16 for Boost Coffee & Energy to build a modular coffee shop at 87 Ashourian Way on a 0.61-acre outparcel at The Forum at Greenbriar at southeast Old County Road 210 and St. Johns Parkway, west of I-95. Ash Properties is the center’s landlord.
• In Yulee, JEA received a service availability determination request for an 800-square-foot Boost Coffee & Energy on an outparcel at 463155 Florida 200 in the Shoppes at Midtown.
The name
“Boost” was chosen as the drink chain’s name because of its definition.
“At its core, the word means to lift or raise from below, to assist someone in climbing higher. That’s exactly what we want to do: Give our customers a real, clean boost to their day, and give our employees and future franchise partners a platform to elevate their own lives,” Murray said.
Boost Coffee & Energy says in a commercial real estate strategy presentation that it is led by Murray, Herlihy, Bill Asbell, Will Steiner, Kyle Blumenthal and Mike Cornetet, according to a commercial real estate strategy presentation.
Together, they have franchise and real estate development experience that includes Planet Fitness and other national retail brands.
Murray said he was an early franchisee with Planet Fitness and built several locations across the North Florida market.
“What I loved most about that experience wasn’t just building a business, it was watching a strong brand and an accessible, quality environment genuinely change people’s lives,” he said.
“When I eventually sold those locations and stepped back to spend time with family, I knew I’d be back. The entrepreneurial itch doesn’t really go away.”
Murray said Boost Coffee & Energy is leasing space in Baywood Center III at 9428 Baymeadows Road in South Jacksonville. State corporate records show that Herlihy and Murray own Tidewater Growth Partners LLC and Boost Franchising LLC.
The strategy
Boost Coffee & Energy’s commercial real estate strategy says it expects potential growth to 450 locations throughout the United States by 2030.
That’s because it is basing its market on an evolution of coffee drinkers.
For example, Boost says the traditional coffee drinker is age 50-plus, seeking basic coffee and doughnuts/pastries, with morning-only consumption and “limited health consciousness.”
Boost’s target market is the 18-50 age demographic for premium coffee and clean energy drinks, all-day consumption of mostly cold drinks, with a protein and wellness-oriented focus, and a desire for quality and good health. Its target demographics focus on Gen Z and millennia consumers and business districts.
Boost Coffee & Energy says its unit investment range is $800,000 to $1.25 million.
The U.S. coffee market was valued at $91 billion in 2025, according to the presentation. The energy drink market was $25 billion in 2024 and is the fastest-growth beverage category.
Drive-thru sales represent 55% of coffee shop revenue, according to the presentation.
“Traditional coffee giants (Starbucks + Dunkin’) total (about) 40,000 US stores, while new drive-thru concepts have under 2,000 locations combined,” the presentation says.
Boost predicts the markets will merge over the next 15 years as consumers seek “both convenience and health-conscious options.”
“No major player has successfully combined premium coffee with clean, healthy energy drinks in a streamlined drive-thru format targeting health-aware consumers – creating an opportunity for Boost.”
The difference
Murray said quality, speed and experience differentiate Boost in the crowded drive-thru-coffee market.
On quality, he said Boost is “serious about clean ingredients.” He said the units will be equipped with new technology that allows for in-house roasting at each location.
“This not only produces a noticeably better cup, but it also reduces the environmental impact of our roasting process by 90%.”
On speed, he said “drive-through coffee should be fast without feeling rushed, and we’ve built our model around that.”
“We want Boost to be a brand people look forward to, not just a transaction. And that experience starts with our team. We are deeply committed to being a great place to work. We believe that happy, invested employees are the foundation of exceptional customer service.”
Murray said the core team includes associates “who helped build our Planet Fitness franchise portfolio, as well as talent recruited from the high-end specialty coffee culture in the Los Angeles market. It’s a unique combination, and it shows in everything we do.”