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Island Update: New Restaurants, Closed Restaurants & So Much More!

Jenn Manes
Trunk Bay, Sept. 3, 2025

Hello everyone, and happy Thursday! I am finally back on island after an extended summer break. It feels like I have been gone forever, and there is so much to catch you all up on! So get comfy, maybe grab a coffee or a mimosa or two, and take a few minutes to catch up on everything St. John!

Let’s start with some not-so-great news before we head into the more positive news. I am sad to tell you that two restaurants on St. John have permanently closed over the past few months. Pizzabar in Paradise closed earlier this year after lease negotiations failed. That is such a bummer considering that it was some of the best pizza on island. It is definitely a huge loss to our friends out in Coral Bay.

Over in Cruz Bay, Margarita Phil’s has decided to close its doors for good. But there is a happy ending to this story. A couple of familiar faces have taken over the spot and plan to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Stay tuned for more information on that!

Ok, more positive news! I saw people working yesterday at the former Rhumb Lines location in Coral Bay. (Rhumb Lines closed at the beginning of the year because they also could not come to a lease renewal agreement.) I am not certain what is going into that location, but as soon as I do, I will happily share it with you!

Now let’s head over to Centerline Road in the area near The Windmill Bar and Shambles. A new food truck-type trailer is now located on the grass beside the entrance to The Windmill Bar. I didn’t see any active work happening there this week, but, again, as soon as I learn more, I will share it with all of you.

Now let’s talk about the island as a whole. It is slowwwwwwww. The beaches are empty. The parking lots are empty. The restaurants that are open are empty. I have to say, it’s nice little reprieve from the high season crowds.

Maho Bay at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday – Practically empty.

Want to know which restaurants are currently open and which are closed? Click here to visit Explore STJ’s Seasonal Closing page.

Now let’s talk about some personal news. My son Dalton turned seven this summer. Where has the time gone??! He started second grade at Gifft Hill this week, marking the start of his fifth year at the school. 🙂

First day of 2nd grade!
He loves his new classroom!

And lastly, now that I am back on island, Explore STJ’s island tours have resumed! Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a longtime resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now. 

That’s it for today! Have a great one, everyone!

Labor Day Parade & Car Show Happening Monday

Jenn Manes

Coral Bay’s annual Labor Day parade and car show is happening tomorrow beginning at 9am.

The 10th annual Love City Car Show opens at 9 a.m. at the Coral Bay ball field. Admission is $8 for adults and $3 for children ages 12 and under. Children get a free hot wheels car upon entry.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. It will begin at the Love City Mini Mart, and will head toward the triangle and end around the ball field. There will be a fun day filled with games and even a dunk tank after the parade ends. There is even a school supply giveaway for St. John students only at 3 p.m.

There will be food and drinks available for sale, as well as music by the Pan Dragons and more. It’s going to be a great day in Coral Bay. I hope to see you there!

***Explore STJ Island Tours resume on Wednesday, September 3rd. It’s never too early to reserve your spot!***

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now. 

 

Labor Day Weekend 5K & Fun Run Happening on St. John

Jenn Manes
Francis Bay

The St. John Landsharks are hosting a runner’s choice 5K and five-mile fun run on Sunday, August 31st. This is the fourth time this event will be held since it replaced the Love City Triathlon & Aquathlon back in 2018.

The races will begin at 8 a.m. at Francis Bay. Each course will feature a variety of terrain, including trail and roads, and will end back on the beach. The five-mile course includes a loop to Maho Bay. There will also be a 500-yard beach dash for kids ages eight and under.

The cost to register is $10, and the event is limited to 100 participants. Children ages 18 and under are free. Walkers are welcome to sign up for the 5K event.

Click here to register. Registration closes at 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 30th.

Contact stjohnlandsharks@gmail.com for more information.

St. John Landsharks is an informal local athletic club that focuses on swimming, biking, running, and stand up paddleboarding.

New Webcam in Cruz Bay!

Jenn Manes
Cruz Bay’s newest webcam!

There’s a new webcam in Cruz Bay, and I have to say, I think it’s going to be one of our new favorites!

Todd Beaty, owner of Cruz Bay Landing, recently opened a new bar in town called The Blind Donkey, along with Patrick Rooney. The Blind Donkey is located in the former Quiet Mon Spot right next door to Woody’s (Todd’s original bar on St. John) and above The Refinery. Todd and Patrick installed a webcam at his new second floor bar, and it’s got a great view of the street, and Tap & Still. This is going to be a good one to watch during season, especially if you enjoy people watching as much as I do. Check it out!

I just added this camera to Explore STJ’s webcam page, which you can check out 24/7 at www.explorestj.com/webcams. 

I know many of you would like to know more about The Blind Donkey. Dalton and I are off island until next week, and I plan to take lots of pics and give you all of the details as soon as I get home. Stay tuned!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now. 

Goodbye Hurricane Erin

Jenn Manes
Cruz Bay on Sunday morning, Aug. 17, 2025

Here’s a quick update for those of you who’ve been following Hurricane Erin.

Hurricane Erin passed to the north of St. John. We were extremely lucky. It did bring lots of rain, and there were some pretty good wind gusts overnight and this morning. The island lost power, but it is slowly starting to come back on this morning.

There was some flooding around the island, especially near the tennis courts in Cruz Bay, which happens after a good rain. There are some reports of mud and rock slides around the island too.

Numerous flights were cancelled this morning, which means many flights out of St. Thomas will inevitably be cancelled too.

The passenger ferry is operating normally. Businesses are open too.

Again, we were extremely lucky with this one. Thank you all for reading.

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now. 

Hurricane Erin Explodes Into Cat 5; Still Staying North Thankfully

Jenn Manes
Cruz Bay panoramic taken Saturday morning in front of High Tide

I don’t know about you, but I woke up to several messages this morning about how quickly Hurricane Erin transformed from a relatively weak cat one to a fierce cat five over the past 24 hours. The good news is that the track is still keeping Erin’s eye well north or us, but we will still see her impacts in St. John and throughout the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico today and tomorrow.

Living Earth app: Cruz Bay is the blue dot. You can see the eye northeast of us.

As of 11 a.m. Saturday, Hurricane Erin has maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour, which is intense. There is some light wind and rain in Cruz Bay currently, but that’s about it. Wind gusts are expected to pick up throughout the day. According to my Windy app, the wind gusts will top out in the 40 mile per hour range. Let’s hope that holds true throughout the weekend.

The rain, however, is a different story. It looks like we will get several inches of rain by the time this is over. This will likely lead to flooding in certain areas like around the tennis courts in Cruz Bay.

According to VI Weather Lady (who is an invaluable resource on Facebook), thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are possible today around 2 p.m. We will likely experience tropical storm impacts tomorrow. She posts updates regularly, so definitely check her out.

Closings: Ports and Businesses 

As of 11 a.m. Saturday morning, the ports remain open, and there is no indication that they are closing. The US Coast Guard will make the announcement if they are going to close. That announcement will be posted on their website here.

That being said, there have been a ton of flight cancellations, which I will detail below.

A few businesses have opted to close today in anticipation of the storm. The Windmill Bar is closed today, and will reopen tomorrow at noon, weather permitting. 1864 has also opted to close today. Several others are currently closed for their annual seasonal closing. Click here to check out Explore STJ’s seasonal closing list. 

Flights

The airport remains open as of 11 a.m. Saturday; however there have been lots of flight cancellations.

Miami

  • American’s 9 a.m. flight out of Miami has been delayed until tomorrow.
  • American’s 10:04 a.m. flight out of Miami has been cancelled.
  • American’s 12:44 p.m. flight to Miami has been delayed until tomorrow.
  • American’s 1:50 p.m. flight to Miami has been cancelled.
  • American’s 1:10 p.m. flight to STT is scheduled, but slightly delayed.
  • American’s 5:10 p.m. flight to Miami is currently scheduled.

Charlotte

  • American’s 7:21 a.m. flight from Charlotte almost made it, but it was diverted up to Miami after getting close to Puerto Rico.
  • American’s 11:46 a.m. flight to Charlotte has been delayed until tomorrow.
  • American’s 11:30 a.m. flight out of Charlotte has been cancelled.
  • American’s 4:05 p.m. flight to Charlotte has been cancelled.

New York

  • American Airlines’ 7 a.m. flight from JFK has been cancelled.
  • American’s 11:40 a.m. flight back to JFK has been cancelled.

Boston

  • JetBlue’s 840 a.m. flight out of Boston has been cancelled.

Chicago

  • United’s 8:48 a.m. out of Chicago has been cancelled.
  • United’s 2:10 p.m. flight to Chicago is delayed as of 11:45 a.m. Saturday. There is a plane en route from Newark that is expected to continue on to Chicago.

Philadelphia

  • American’s 9:45 a.m. flight out of Philadelphia has been cancelled.
  • American’s 2:45 p.m. flight to Philadelphia has been cancelled.

Houston

  • United’s 9:48 a.m. flight out of Houston has been cancelled.
  • United 4 p.m. flight to Houston has been cancelled.

San Juan

  • JetBlue’s 4:10 p.m. flight to San Juan has been cancelled.

Delta and Spirit currently have flights en route. If you are on either of those airlines, you should be able to get out today normally.

Websites to Check for Updates

What To Do Today If You Are On Island

Lots of businesses, including Wharfside Village and Mongoose Junction are open. Sharky’s over in Coral Bay is open too. When it rains hard, the gut that runs underneath Mongoose becomes a raging river. It’s kind of neat to see. There should be big waves on the north shore at some point. But remember, driving can be tricky when it rains super hard, so please be careful out there.

Mike is bartending at High Tide today, so pop in and say hello if you’re on island! Stay safe (and dry!) everyone!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now.Â