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MORNING GLORY Coffee & Tea by Nichol Alexander & Sarah Sanders |
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On St. Croix, Morning Glory is the only place for the
serious coffee drinker. After making it a morning ritual and several
wonderful conversations with Margo, the owner, our curiosity couldn’t
be held back. Recently we sat down with her on a Friday afternoon and
tried to get to the bottom of the story behind Morning Glory and its
truly glorious coffee.
Opened by Margo in 1993, Morning Glory has been serving the best coffee’s and tea’s to the east end of St. Croix. She selected the location because of the nice area and the coming development of the Gallows Bay Shopping center, run by the Armstrong’s. Margo and Company were the first tenants of their current building, which also happens to be the building Island Video is located in. When asked why she decided to open the store, her nose scrunches up in memory of all the bad cups of coffee she had been forced to down. Born in New Orleans, where, according to her, a good cup of coffee is everything, she couldn’t make the adjustment to this little snippet of paradise without her coffee. Her grandfather had been a coffee broker for the Big Easy and it seemed only natural for her to continue the tradition. Like Kevin Costner said, if you build it, they will come. Margo brought in equipment from the States, Italy, and Japan, and created the most magnificent coffee house on the island. Now she could enjoy her espresso's with the crema fresh and thick. Thick enough, she claims, to hold a teaspoon of sugar! Now that’s espresso! But her drinks were not just for herself. Soon people caught on and the memories of all the good coffee they used to enjoy turned from memories into savored ooh’s and ahh’s as the coffee started to flow. As Gallows Bay developed around her, Margo has been an integral part in the community. She has made her store a place for everyone to gather, enjoy the mornings, gossip or just plain drink coffee. One of the more visible groups of customers at Morning Glory is the Sysipheans. An all male philosophy group, founded by Bob White, gather here at the store, savor their Java, and throw their minds into the bottomless pit of self-contemplation. If they start getting loud, don’t try an interrupt – these men are nothing if not passionate about their philosophy and coffee. The fragrant and unmistakable aroma of fresh roast coffee brewing at Morning Glory is due to the cast iron Royal Roast coffee roaster she bought in St. Thomas from a man who had brought it from Japan. The beans arrive in St. Croix from all over the world via Tropical Shipping. Jamaica, Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii, Timor, and Kenya, are just some of the places Margo likes to shop for her fresh green coffee beans. After a 20 to 40 minute roasting process, depending on the bean, the beans go on the shelf, and it is possible to grab a cup of coffee made from beans that had been roasted only 24 hours earlier! Margo is clearly in love with her business and her coffee. When asked what she thought about all the people who say it’s bad for you, she pointed to a laminated article she keeps hanging on the wall entitled "How Safe Is Coffee?" and laughed. If it’s the caffeine you’re worried about, pick up a pound of decaf straight from the Swiss water plant in Canada. Her coffee’s are all decaffeinated in an all natural, all tasty, process that is guaranteed to keep that taste fresh. Besides serving coffee, Margo has caught bank robbers, plant thieves, pick pockets and otherwise just been a part of Cruzan life. With a cup of her favorite blend, ½ Jamaican Blue Mountain, Wallingford Estate and ½ Captain Cook Kona from Hawaii, she’s sure to cut a pose of repose and happiness. For more information about her, her coffee’s, Morning Glory, or her roasting company, email her at www.morningglorycoffeetea@worldnet.att.net or give her a call at (340) 773-6620 |
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