A Short History of Colombo's and the View That Wouldn't Quit

Some places on St. John are held together by their view. Drive up the switchbacks off Centerline Road, past the goats and the frangipani, and you land at 760 feet — a hilltop where the wind moves through the palms and the horizon stretches from Great Cruz Bay down toward St. Thomas and out into the open Caribbean. Long before anyone painted the deck the color it is now, that view had a name attached to it: Colombo's.

This is the short version of how that hilltop got here, why locals still say "Colombo's" when they give directions, and what we're trying to protect as we build Drifters into its next chapter.

The hill everyone remembered

For decades, the property that is now Drifters was a stop on the mental map of anyone who lived on, commuted to, or drifted through St. John. It wasn't a destination in the modern, table-service sense — it was a hilltop where the view did most of the work, and the food and drinks kept up. When Colombo's operated here, it earned the kind of loyalty that only happens when a place is honest about what it is: a panoramic pull-off between where you were and where you were going.

That legacy is why we don't say Drifters is "on the old Colombo's site" as a marketing line. It's a fact and it's a responsibility. The people who filled this space before us set the tone. Our job is to honor it, not to overwrite it.

The view that wouldn't quit

A lot has changed on St. John in the last two decades — storms, rebuilds, waves of new residents, evolving tastes. What hasn't changed is what this hilltop does at every hour of the day. The morning light comes across the water flat and gold. By midday the trade winds settle in and the deck becomes the coolest place within several miles. In the last hour before sunset, the sky over the western channels does the thing it does — layered pinks stacking on top of each other, silhouettes of sailboats holding a line — and, for a few minutes, everyone on the deck stops talking at the same time.

We planned the flow of the space around that pattern. The panoramic deck, the seating layout, and the way the bar opens onto the vieware all designed so the hilltop stays the main event. The food, the drinks, and the wellness shots and smoothies we pour are meant to meet the view halfway — bright, layered, unhurried.

What we're keeping, what we're building

The four of us — Matthew, Kellie, William, and Dario — didn't come to St. John to replace something. We came to steward it. That distinction matters, because it shapes every decision we make. The building is being restored, not demolished. The deck is being widened, but the sightlines are the sightlines Colombo's guests knew. The menu leans on island ingredients and the kind of drinks a bartender actually wants to make. The vibe is unhurried, dog-friendly, family-friendly, and rooted in the kind of hospitality where you're greeted by name on your second visit.

Over the next year we'll open the panoramic deck, launch the food-truck grab-and-go, run pop-up dinners, and add live music evenings. If you want a longer look at where we're going, our Future Horizons page walks through it.

Why the name "Drifters"

The name is a nod to two things at once. First, it's about you — the residents, commuters, beachgoers, and visitors who "drift" to this hilltop for a pause, recharge, and the view. Second, it's about us — four people from very different backgrounds who drifted together, pooled our skills, and ended up on the same hilltop with the same idea.

Colombo's had a chapter here. Drifters is the next one. If you knew this hill in its earlier life, we hope you'll come back and see what's been kept. If it's your first time up the road, welcome. Grab a seat on the deck. The view is doing most of the work.

Book a table or browse the menu.