There's almost always something new on St. John. Here are quick looks at two recently opened businesses and another soon to come.
Savers Food Store
The old Joe's Discount on King's Hill Road in Coral Bay has just reopened under a new name, Savers Food Store. Manager Nael Ahmad is using every square foot to stock the place with paper products, canned goods, laundry and cleaning supplies, cold drinks, snacks, pasta and rice, soups and quick-meal items.
Savers has been opened by the same folks who brought the Pine Peace Mini-Mart under new management in 1998. Ahmad said the new move means some of the best consumer prices on St. John are now available on the eastern end of the island. Next week, he said, the store will begin to expand its selection of fresh produce and frozen foods. Savers opened on Monday, and crates of fresh mangoes and bananas have already appeared.
Love City Cafe
Coffee lovers, unite! There's a new place for you in Cruz Bay. And Barbara Harris, manager of the new Love City Cafe, says that one of its strongest appeals for coffee connoisseurs is the fresh-ground Millstone brew that's available by the cup from 6:30 every morning. Millstone is the best seller at coffee shops around the U.S. mainland, she says, and now St. John residents and visitors have a place where they can enjoy it, too.
Since the cafe opened three weeks ago, Harris said, breakfast has been the busy time. "Everyone who loves a cup of coffee has come back for more," she says. The other morning offerings include croissants and oversized bagels. For lunchtime, croissants reappear, filled with ham, broccoli and cheese. Bagels can be served New York style with cream cheese and smoked salmon.
The new cafe is in a mellow mini-plaza across the street from the newly refurbished V.I. National Park Visitor Center. Guests are welcome to sit at the outdoor chairs and tables and watch the world go by.
Voyages in the making
Crews are hard at work on a two-story building on Route 107 near Cases by the Sea that will house a restaurant to be called Voyages on the first floor. According to contractor Eric Lambert of Blue Horizon Construction, the business is the culmination of a dream for a former V.I. resident and her mate.
Cheryl Marson lived on St. Thomas and St. Croix until the early 1980s, he said. With her partner Bob Zebrowski she made a career in the computer industry. Then, he said, she opted for a change of pace — enrolling in the French Culinary Institute, where she is completing her studies.
Marson and Zebrowski are planning an October move to Coral Bay. "They are both quitting their jobs and moving here," Lambert said.
Voyages, which is targeted to open Dec. 1, will have seating for 80 in a space of 3,200 square feet that will include separate outdoor, partially enclosed patio, and air-conditioned dining areas. Lambert said the decor is to be nautical and will include a redwood bar being crafted in California, a customized sound system and a big-screen TV. The plan is for lunch and dinner to be served; the type of cuisine is yet to be announced.
