Well folks, we have some good news and bad news to share with you all today… First the good news: Jake’s has finally reopened!!! The bad news: They reopened more than 1,600 miles away from us. But either way, we’re pretty darn happy for them!
So Jake’s was one of my favorite restaurants here on St. John. It was a great breakfast and lunch spot, which was located in the Lumberyard. Sadly, Hurricane Irma destroyed most of the complex. While the Jake’s portion was relatively unscathed, the entire complex was deemed a lost and the owners, Carl and Shaun Stevenson, were forced to close their doors for good.
But there’s a silver lining to ever sad story, right??! Well just 15 months later, the Stevensons have a new location. Jake’s is now located in North Stonington, Connecticut, which conveniently is only about 30 minutes from my parents’ house. (Like me, Carl also grew up in Connecticut, so the move made sense for them.)
I flew up to Connecticut for the holidays and visited Jake’s less than 24 hours after I arrived. It was so nice to see Carl and Shaun. Carl was even wearing his St. John Jake’s shirt much to my delight! The vibe was little different, mainly because it was quite chilly out, but it felt in a way like I was back in our pre-hurricane world. And that was lovely while it lasted.
The menu is pretty similar, although there aren’t any mimosas or Bloody Marys. There is a liquor store right beside the breakfast and lunch spot, so you could being your own I suppose. When I asked Shaun about the lack of our sometimes favorite morning drinks, she said that the Connecticut peeps don’t enjoy their morning cocktails as much as we island folks do … the horror! (Clearly I am kidding, but I do love a mimosa with my omelette every then and again.)
They were still in the midst of decorating, Shaun said, and she planned to hang some of the artwork saved from the St. John Jake’s. I was also happy to see that their logo is relatively the same. They simply switched out the palm trees for some oaks and evergreens.
If you happen to be in Connecticut or even Rhode Island (Jake’s is right on the border), do yourselves a favor and swing by and say hello. Let them know how much you love Jake’s and St. John as a whole. I can guarantee that will make them smile.
Jake’s is located at 220 Norwich-Westerly Road in North Stonington, Connecticut. They are open daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Is it possible to still get some St. John “Jakes” T-Shirts? I live in PA and we have a Jakes in Mt. Penn that serves breakfast and lunch. We brought back a St. John Jakes T-Shirt for the owner, but never got a chance to buy some for ourselves. We were back on island in Oct. 2018 and will be back again in April, probably our 34th trip. Miss Jakes so much, but happy for them that they re-opened elsewhere. Thanks so much for all your updates. Diane and Mark Gehringer
I miss the food but also the kid updates. How are they adjusting to cold weather?
What a small world Diane Gehringer, I live in Birdsboro and frequent St John also, not as much as you though 🙂
Aww. Glad to hear that they have opened again- even if it’s not in my happy place. I have so many fond memories of breakfast with my boys when they were in high chairs. It was Chilly Billy’s then but when it became Jake’s we loved it just as much and enjoyed watching little Jake grow and change each year. Best of luck – I know the new place will be a hit even without the Bloody Marys!
Thanks Julie, forgot about the name Chilly Billy’s. Got to know Jeff there all those years ago. He stayed on island a while after his parents. Miss seeing him. Will definitely miss the Bloody Mary’s, view and great breakfasts. Any suggestions for breakfast places. Chateau Bordeaux also is no longer, but Laurelei served an awesome french toast.
Was it chilly Billy’s and ten tables at the same time? I miss ten tables.
Thanks for posting this. We read it last night and went for breakfast this morning. Delicious! Miss Jake’s in STJ, but happy to see them in CT.
I ADORED Jakes on STJ. I made a b line for that place the minute I stepped on island! I would love to have a few T-shirts as well. I tried to buy them several times, but they were out of stock
Im so happy for them but so sad for us! We have been going to St John for 10 years and go to Jakes every day while we were there. My favorite was the Philly cheese-stake! Will miss them.
We are there now!