A rendering of a cali coffee shop in south florida | cali coffee

A former Checkers restaurant on 66th Street in St. Pete is being redeveloped into a new drive-through coffee shop.

Cali Coffee, a growing South Florida-based coffee franchise, is expected to open at 3775 66th Street North, adjacent to the HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital campus.

Plans call for remodeling the existing 825-square-foot building into a compact coffee shop featuring a single drive-thru lane and a walk-up window. There will be no indoor seating, though other locations typically include outdoor seating.

The brand leans heavily into West Coast aesthetics, even in its drink names.

Signature offerings include the Beverly, which features caramel and vanilla syrup; the Baywatch, which includes coconut and white chocolate syrup; and the Nirvana, which has chocolate and hazelnut syrup.

The former checkers restaurant at 3775 66th Street North | Google

Customers can customize drinks with a range of cold foam flavors, from pumpkin to cookies & cream, along with sprinkles, alternative milks, or the option to order it “Cali style”, which adds two shots of espresso and extra sweetness.

In addition to coffee, the menu includes chai and matcha lattes served hot, iced, frozen, or as shakes, as well as teas, lemonades, and energy drinks.

Shake options include Banana Foster, Cookies and Cream, Birthday Cake, Lemon Frost, and Affogato.

Food offerings are limited to sweet treats like cake pops, muffin tops, a coffee cake, and a lemon loaf.

Site plan for the new cali coffee shop on 66th Street in st. pete | interplan llc

A site plan submitted to the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD) by Central Florida architecture and engineering firm Interplan LLC also shows exterior upgrades, including replacing the existing concrete patio with brick pavers.

The half-acre property, owned by Miami-based Orion Real Estate Group, includes 14 parking spaces.

It is also not the first time a shuttered Checkers has been reborn as a coffee concept in the area.

St. Petersburg-based The Blend Coffee and Cocktails previously remodeled former Checkers locations at 6730 Central Avenue and 8199 U.S. Highway 19 North in Pinellas Park.

Cali Coffee was founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife team Craig and Rosa Avera, who relocated from Los Angeles to South Florida in 2016.

Cali coffee offers signature coffees, matcha, chai, teas, lemonades, energy drinks, and shakes | cali coffee

“We were really acting more on faith, with the confidence that we could make magic happen on the East Coast,” Craig Avera said in a previous media interview.

The company currently operates 17 locations across Florida, including one in Brandon, with 12 additional locations planned in markets such as Palm Harbor, Bradenton, Venice, and Lutz.

The project will mark Cali Coffee’s first location in St. Pete.

An opening date for the St. Pete location has not yet been announced.

Existing Cali Coffee locations typically operate Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

Be sure to follow Cali Coffee on Instagram and Facebook for the latest store openings and offerings.