An Ocala coffee drive-thru that abruptly closed late last year has sold for $1.8 million, clearing the way for the previously announced “dirty soda” business to move into the space.
The former OLA Drive-Thru Coffee shop at 920 N Pine Avenue was sold by Broadway Corner, LLC, to Meraki Properties, LLC, for $1,815,000 on Tuesday, March 24, according to a deed filed with the Marion County Clerk of Courts.
State corporate records show that Meraki Properties is owned by Luis Santana of Tampa. Broadway Corner is owned by Hanan Abbas, and Ghassan and Ali Mansour, who are also from Tampa.
Ocala-News.com previously reported that Swig, a dirty soda franchise that has seen aggressive expansion throughout Florida in recent years, announced plans to take over the old coffee shop. Corporate records show that the new franchise is registered to Pine Ave Drinks LLC, which is owned by Susana and Daniel Lowe.
Originally built in 1960, the 1,709-square-foot free-standing building underwent extensive remodeling in 2023. In addition, the exterior of the property was improved, included the addition of a new parking lot and a modern drive-thru system.
The site sits on a .54-acre lot zoned B4, allowing for a wide range of commercial uses. While the sale includes all the “fully-equipped” fixtures, furniture, and equipment from the former OLA Coffee business, the new owners are required to operate under a different name. The interior also features a retail corner with potential for additional indoor seating to complement the drive-thru operations.
An online listing for the new Swig location indicates that the new drink drive-thru shop in Ocala is “coming soon,” although an official opening date has not yet been publicly released.
Swig was founded in Utah in 2010 and has since grown to over 100 franchises across the nation. In 2024, the Lowes opened the first Swig location in Florida in Clermont. Last month, they opened a new location in Leesburg, at the corner of North 14th Street and Citizens Boulevard. That shop replaced an HTea0 that closed last year.
The sale of the property comes just over three months after OLA Coffee permanently closed the Pine Avenue location. That closure came after more than two years of operation at the site. The second and final OLA Coffee in Ocala closed its location on Maricamp Road shortly thereafter.
Swig claims to be the “originator” of the dirty soda concept, which is a carbonated beverage that can be customized with a variety of creams, purees, and flavored syrups. The chain’s menu features signature drinks like the “Dirty Dr. Pepper” (Dr. Pepper with coconut and lime) and the “Raspberry Dream” (Dr. Pepper with raspberry puree and coconut cream), alongside pretzels and cookies.