The heart of hospitality
Everyone gravitates to Gladys
Maura Curley
Her smile lights up the room, and the songs she sings and the food she dishes out keep customers coming back for more. Gladys Isles-Jones has been the heart and soul of Gladys Cafe at Royal Dane Mall in St. Thomas for two decades.
A native of Antigua, she came to St. Thomas to visit her brother more than fur decades agos, and decided to make the island home.
After waitressing for a while, she began her own place called Tropical Isles in Cowpet Bay, before launching Glady's Cafe at its present spot in downtown Charlotte Amalie.
Isles, who gets up every morning at 4:30 a.m. exudes an infectious exuberance, which she shares with the cafes many local regulars and island visitors.
She loves to sing, and in between cooking and pouring a customer a cold Carib she may launch into a Tina Turner tune from a voice as soothing as soursop.
She makes each customer feel like an important guest, and in a matter of moments can transform strangers into friends.
And her food isn't bad either. In fact it's as good as it gets. Open for both breakfast and lunch Gladys offers a menu of native and continental cooking.
During breakfast the coffee comes quickly, often served by her younger sister, Pauline Alexander, who shares Gladys' knack for hospitality.
Isles says some customers show up every day, so she starts their order when they walk in the door. She says former U.S. Virgin Islands attorney general Godfrey de Castro always has an omelet. But she gives him his Perrier and mango first she explains. Lunchtime favorites include an avocado with lobster salad, oxtail stew, curried chicken and roti. Gladys, the second oldest of 12 children, says she learned to cook, helping her mother.
Gladys also serves up local drinks, made from fresh fruit - papaya, mango, soursop and passion fruit- which frame the gleaming mahogany bar along with the scotch bonnet peppers she uses for her own bottled brand of hot sauce.
Gladys began making the hot sauce in small batches fourteen years ago, and sells gallons and gallons right in the cafe.
She appreciates her commercial success, but says one of her motivation for getting up every morning is meeting people.
Maura Curley is publisher of virginvoices.com
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