Lizard’s Landing shuts down
Lizard’s Landing, whose lease had recently been listed for sale, has just completely shut down. No farewell party. Nothing. Just closed its doors. The business is also no longer listed for sale. The woman who moved down from the states to take over the former Duffy’s Love Shack less than a year and a half ago paid more than $600K for that leasehold. That’s a big investment to walk away from. Duffy’s was the very first place we went to the first time we visited St. John seven years ago. A great place back then. We went there with a bunch of people and sat upstairs drinking these huge drinks with long straws called “Shark Tanks!”
April 17th, 2007 06:46
Hmmmm…
April 17th, 2007 06:51
Same here..the original Duffy’s was great. Always was there on the first night in STJ for a welcome drink and good food. Still cannot figure out why people buy these businesses and let them go down the tube….the latest going downhill fast is The Fish Trap
April 17th, 2007 08:29
$600,000, ouch!
What cash flow must the bar have been throwing off to justify that sale price?
Jeff – I think a feature on “how we decided to make a business investment on STJ” would be interesting.
April 17th, 2007 09:08
It was recently listed for $400k+ with a long term lease. i remember it as The Back Yard.
April 17th, 2007 10:35
I remember it as the Back Yard too. We drank there several times on our honeymoon back in the early 90s
April 17th, 2007 11:54
The Back Yard always seemed to do a good business. Every night of the week they had a different cook to serve up some good and not so good dinners. They also had a local small squash band play on occasion. I only fear what is going to appear now … I sure hope it has nothing to do with golden arches or any relationship to such.
April 17th, 2007 12:53
The Fish Trap?? Going downhill?? Oh no! It was one of my favorites. What happened?
April 17th, 2007 14:16
February 2004 – It was Duffy’s Love Shack and what a blast! Started out with a Cruzan Confusion downstairs and then upstairs for dinner with a volcano, a shark tank and some sort of drink served in a ceramic monkey. Our waitress was Karima – what a hoot. Remember that shark that came out over the bar?
Flash forward to 2007 – Lizards Landing turned into a place to walk by really fast.
Hopefully, the site will re-emerge as a fun family spot in the afternoon/evening that morphs into an entertaining and safe nightspot as the evening progresses, much like Duffy’s did.
April 17th, 2007 17:05
Can’t say that I am too surprised. I went to check it out last year and was uncomfortable just walking down the pathway. Loved it as Duffy’s and The Back Yard. Hopefully something fun will take over, not another shady place. I would think that would be a goldmine.
April 17th, 2007 17:46
It was the place of our first dinner on our first trip too. But, LL was a little skeezy. As Barb said, the path was scary looking. We never went in. Let’s hope for better times there. I’ll be going soon because I plan to have my name picked to win a trip to STJ that I entered at a tradeshow today.
April 23rd, 2007 20:12
not surprised at all.Lizards Landing was a drug hang out and had many, bar fights and alot of illeagal activity, a very bad place. happy to see Liz go, along with her slimy bar…
April 23rd, 2007 20:52
Not too surprised, and not too sad – hopefully something better will emerge. I used to love Back Yard and Duffy’s. LL was a little too much reality for STJ, IMO
April 24th, 2007 15:05
I know Liz and the hard work that she’s put into the place. It’s unfortunate for some of the social circumstances that exist in the islands. I’d try walking in her shoes for a week and then comment. It’s always easy to shoot without knowing and living it…
April 25th, 2007 11:26
I know Liz and she busted her butt to make this place go. No one will be able to make the “joint” go until things in that section of the island get cleaned up (especially the drug action) at nightime. It may take some patroling to clean up that area but should be done if tourists are wanted in that area at night.
June 4th, 2011 20:38
Hey Steve s thank you this is karima u are a hoot to lol hope all is well