Michael Ryan has sold his Main street Vineyard Haven restaurant to the owners of Mad Martha’s Ice Cream and Skinny’s Fat Sandwiches for $1.2 million. The new owners plan to reopen in time for Memorial Day.
The Vineyard Haven restaurant that rose from the ashes of a Main street fire five years ago has been placed on the market for sale. The bistro reopened in October 2012 and closed last month. The asking price is $1.25 million.
After the last hurrah of Columbus Day weekend, many of the Main street business owners in Vineyard Haven hang signs on their doors saying “Closed” or “See You Next Season.”
On the corner of Main and Centre streets, the long-awaited Cafe Moxie is finally open.
On Tuesday morning couples were seated at tables in the cafe with steaming cups of coffee.
Cafe Moxie is set to open its doors today on the corner of Main and Centre streets in Vineyard Haven. Owner Michael Ryan said the cafe will be open year-round, every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with chef Willy Wannamaker preparing American bistro dishes. Mr. Ryan said the credit card system will not be installed until next Friday, so the cafe will only be accepting cash and checks for the first week of business.
Tisbury selectmen Tuesday approved a common victualler’s license for Cafe Moxie, clearing the way for the long-awaited re-opening of the Main street restaurant.
Paul Currier, owner of the Café Moxie building destroyed when a fire broke out there on the Fourth of July, plans to apply today for a permit to rebuild the Main street, Vineyard Haven restaurant, with the backing of Mike Ryan of Island Woodworks.
“I would love nothing better than [for the new Cafe Moxie] to be open for the Fourth of July next year,” Mr. Currier said.
The napkins were folded and the tables set. The homemade bread was sliced and waiting in bread baskets and the waitstaff had been briefed — yes the cod is fresh, no we do not serve wine, and although all our desserts are wonderful, I would recommend the frozen key lime souffle with tropical fruit salsa and raspberry coulis, just delicious.
Not two weeks ago, as Katrina Yekel greeted customers at the door of Cafe Moxie, the restaurant she now owns with her boyfriend, executive chef Austin Racine, she simply glowed.
A Fourth of July morning fire destroyed Café Moxie restaurant and severely damaged the Bunch of Grapes bookstore in Main Street Vineyard Haven.
The blaze, the biggest on the Island in years, is believed to have started in the basement of the café shortly after 9 a.m.
Owner Austin Racine was the only person in the café at the time. He said he was in the kitchen when he noticed smoke. He had earlier been in the basement, which is used for storage.
The wheels on his bike stopped abruptly on Centre street behind Café Moxie when the pantry chef saw the flames breaking through the roof of the restaurant around 9:40 a.m. today, the Fourth of July. “I guess I don’t have work today,” he said sadly, and rode off.
On the night before the Fourth of July, little cards were placed in the center of each table. There were 16 in all and they announced the night’s special: a fig-encrusted rack of lamb. It was the start of the busiest holiday weekend on the Vineyard and the tiny dining room of Café Moxie was filled — every table, every chair.
