Chart House Restaurant in Frenchtown will close this fall but other than a name change, most diners may not even notice.
"We don't expect to miss a beat," said Dick Doumeng, who holds the lease on the property and will take over the restaurant.
Doumeng, a well-known St. Thomas hotelier and restaurateur, is excited about his new dining spot, which will be called Harborside.
"We will be training with Chart House personnel this summer to make a smooth
transition. And we will retain as many of the local staff as possible," he said.
It all came about when Chart House decided to close its St. Thomas doors, along with its operations in Puerto Rico. Rather than have a new owner step in, Doumeng decided to take over himself. He has leased the property to the Chart House for the past 22 years.
The location on Frenchtown's south shore has a long and colorful history and claims an affectionate place in the hearts of many St. Thomians. Villa Olga, as it is known, was the site of the Russian Consulate in the 1920s. It commands the most direct view of the old marine railway on Hassel Island.
The property has seen many transitions, has lost its gazebo and one of its wonderfully tilted fountains, and has weathered all the storms. It still retains the original consulate's tile leading up to the restaurant's front steps.
Dick Doumeng himself had a restaurant and dive club there in the '70s.
Doumeng said the Harborside menu will be basically the same. And, yes, they will still have the famous Mud Pie.
