Anastasia Plaza Got a Facelift, and First Watch Is the Best Thing to Come Out of It
If you live on Anastasia Island, you already know Anastasia Plaza. It’s the Publix plaza, the central shopping hub for the island, and the parking lot stays full for a reason. There’s a Winn-Dixie across the street, but this is where everything actually happens.
In 2025 the plaza went through a major remodel. The old Publix was torn down and rebuilt, shops were rearranged, and the whole center got a facelift. The new Publix opened in November, before the rest of the work was finished, and a few pieces are still wrapping up. For the most part, though, the build is done, and the result is a much better plaza.
The new corner: First Watch
The biggest change is in the corner where the building’s two wings meet. The old store there was torn out and replaced with a new building, and that’s now First Watch. It’s a national breakfast, brunch and lunch brand, and it celebrated its grand opening in Anastasia Plaza at 1081 A1A Beach Blvd. on a Monday, June 8, 2026.
Full disclosure: I am not a foodie. I’m as happy with McDonald’s as I am at a steakhouse. So take it seriously when I say First Watch impressed me.
The menu leans healthy. There are no hamburgers and no French fries. You’ll find things like turkey sausage and roasted potatoes instead. Scanning it, not much jumped out at me. But I found something I liked, the Roast Beef and Havarti sandwich, and it was phenomenal. It comes with roast beef, horseradish Havarti, house-roasted onions, tomato, and lemon-dressed arugula on grilled parmesan-crusted sourdough. That bread alone is worth the trip. It came with a soup I barely touched because the sandwich was that filling. At around $15 as of September 2026, it was worth every penny. I also tried the potatoes that came with another order, and they were just as good.
The room is well decorated and genuinely nice inside, and the staff were friendly. The space is about 3,900 square feet with seating for roughly 150 across the whole restaurant, including a covered outdoor patio and a bar area. That patio is the reason the old corner store came out.
I got my order to go. It was ready the minute I walked in and still hot when I got back across the street. When I arrived, the parking lot around the restaurant was packed and the dining room was full. Apparently everyone else already figured out what I just learned.
First Watch at a glance
Address: 1081 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach
Hours: 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, with dine-in, pickup and delivery. Breakfast and lunch only, with no dinner menu.
Phone: 904.789.8812, and you can join the waitlist online
What else is in the plaza
You won’t go hungry here. Publix anchors the center, and between its subs, rotisserie chickens, sushi, and bakery, it’s practically a restaurant itself. Next door you’ll find Taco Libre, Starbucks, Bronx House Pizza, Jersey Mike’s, Lucky Garden Chinese, Sushi Zento & Grill, and Mayday Ice Cream.
Beyond food, the plaza has Publix Liquors, T-Mobile, Del Mar Veterinarian, The UPS Store, Gretchen’s Hallmark Shop, Salt & Pepper Epicure, The Blue Collection clothing boutique, two spas (Panache: An Aveda Salon and the newly opening Spavia), and Nails So Happy. First Choice Florida Vacation Rentals and Ocean Breeze Realty have offices here too. (Disclosure: I work for them, which is why I’m in this plaza nearly every day.)
There’s plenty of parking, although it fills up. If you’re staying anywhere on the island, this is where you’ll end up for groceries, coffee, or lunch. Now it has a breakfast spot worth going out of your way for.
See the First Watch directory listing for hours, address and contact.
