Purchase and Facelifts:
Cafe Roma an open windowed setting, upstairs at 1-C Cruz Bay, was
open in the very early eighties. It served the only Italian food and pizza
on St. John. Joshlynn Crosley the present owner bought Cafe Roma in 1988 from
the McGinnis family. Joshlynn had landed in St. John in 1987 and was ready
to stay for awhile. The McGinnis family financed Cafe Roma to the then 28yr.
old waitress, Joshlynn. Gradually Cafe Roma has changed; tiled, windows closed,
and air-conditioning added. In the summer of 1995, a mural was painted by
Ted Effremoff (a Russian artist, now teacher, in Philadelphia) with scenes
of Italy. In 2003 Helen Lalitch changed one panel to a more ethereal scene
with Romanesque angels, and symbols for peace on earth. “The wall was
not a plan but now seems most appropriate,” says Joshlynn.
Joshlynn was not yet a chef but had always been in the restaurant business. She proceeded to buy a lot of cook books on authentic Italian cuisine. She visited Venezuela the first summer of 1989 and shared new inspiration from an Italian family as she visited their kitchen. Upon returning to St. John, Joshlynn brewed the new recipe for Cafe Roma’s marinara sauce. Joshlynn, from that point on, has been well received as a chef, she says: “The marinara recipe was repeatedly asked for, even by women whose husbands were Italian: What greater approval could I ask for? The lesson being: Follow your passion and your heart and all things come.” In 1994 Joshlynn visited Venice, Milan, and Florence, gaining even more new ideas for her menu. Mario Batali recently inspires Cafe Roma as he is the most passionate and educational in the “Zen” (says Batali) of Italian cuisine. This year, Cafe Roma’s menu was changed for the summer with plate size dinner pizza pies, including house recipes like gorgonzola and pine nut, spinach and feta, eggplant parmigiana, all of which have a local following. Cafe Roma still sells 16” pizza pies for take-out and at the bar.
Joshlynn seeks enthusiastic chefs and trains them to cook her menu, welcoming creations from their repertoire infused with her own Mediterranean influences, this insures consistency in Cafe Roma‘s menu.
Personal/Owner:
Hannah Sierra McMurry was born to Joshlynn Crosley and Anthony McMurry in
September 1992. Joshlynn makes Hannah her first priority, home schooling her
through the 5th grade and now slowly teaching business skills via Cafe Roma.
Joshlynn finds Hannah a grounding element as she grows Cafe Roma: Joshlynn
the dreamer and Hannah the very practical one.
Business Opportunity:
Cafe Roma has served St. John Trattoria style Italian cuisine since 1981. Joshlynn has enjoyed St. John and Cafe Roma beginning 1988. Joshlynn has grown with her business and now wishes to retire with her new love and family in her native state. Joshlynn was 28 when she bought Cafe Roma owner financed. She hopes to find a new enthusiastic owner for this wonderful little Italian food spot. Clientele beg joshlynn to stay but new love and ventures beckon. So if you dream of the Caribbean and enjoy this venue this is the opportunity for you. Cafe Roma has a 10year lease seats 40 and has a great local following as well as return annual visitors. St. John is one of the most beautiful places in the Caribbean. Turquoise waters and sailing winds. It will be hard to leave, says joshlynn.
Everyone visiting St. John must stop in for something scrumptious
in this little Italian Café.
