ST. THOMAS — It’s inspiring to watch the progression of a young entrepreneur on her journey through the business world. Cloey Lashay Payne, owner of Babylon Eats, has gone from cooking at home and delivering to Monday night brunches at a gentlemen’s club to now opening a food truck.
Payne, whose family was from Tennessee, grew up spending much of her time on a farm picking her own vegetables, with her mother in the kitchen. While attending the University of the Virgin Islands, Payne met Haddiyyah Abdul-Kareem from Philadelphia, who also grew up in the kitchen. Although Abdul-Kareem returned to the states after hurricanes Irma and Maria, Payne, who has family in the Virgin Islands, remained.
The pandemic was the catalyst for Babylon Eats. Because everything shut down, Payne no longer had her job at Margaritaville or her job bartending at Tootsie’s, a gentleman’s club in Red Hook. She started making stateside style food, seafood and soul food and delivering from home. Abdul-Kareem worked behind the scenes in the states to help out.
“I started out with a few dinners and a Taco Tuesday and it went like crazy. I was doing the shopping, the prepping, cooking and literally delivery from town to country, past UVI to Bordeaux,” Payne said.
The two friends drew up a business plan on Abdul-Kareem’s 24th birthday and she joined Payne back on St. Thomas. They started to cater for villas, events, private charters and offering private chef services. They decided not to do deliveries anymore because the client base was too big. They were planning a debut during Carnival Food Fair, but it was cancelled because of the pandemic.
Not wanting to lose momentum, they were looking for a location of their own. In 2021, Payne was back at work bartending at Tootsie’s in Red Hook and Abdul-Kareem was working in the kitchen there. The owner of the club agreed to let them hold a Sunday brunch. It was a success, but a contractual issue prevented them from doing another. Instead of giving up, they decided to move brunch to Monday nights.
The pair had a popular following, but unfortunately, in the fall, Tootsie’s closed and they no longer had a venue. They went their separate ways, but Payne was determined to stay in the game. She went back to delivering from home and catering, which she still does, while looking for a place of her own.
Payne’s mother and stepfather used to work at the AMG radio station in Frenchtown and her mother pointed out the empty food truck that was still there, formerly Plantastic. She called the landlord and opened her Babylon Eats food truck on May 23.
“Right now, we’re figuring out whether I want to rent to own or just rent,” she said. “I like this because it’s grab and go, fast-paced. The ultimate goal is that I’d like a restaurant so I can hire a full staff again so I don’t have to be the sole one doing everything. I don’t want to burn myself out. That’s when people lose interest in their business and go do something else.”
Bruce Flamon, Payne’s stepfather, is excited to help out with his special barbeque chicken. Flamon owned the Flamon’s Chicken & Grill food truck on the waterfront 28 years ago.
“I know Cloey’s dream is to have a restaurant, but we’re getting around that WAPA issue, we’re getting around that air conditioning issue, all those things that come with restaurants,” Flamon said. “A food truck, I think, is the wave of the future, especially a food truck like hers, more gourmet style. I’m excited about working with her and I’m excited about these young people, these young entrepreneurs. This is the way we address gun violence and crime, keeping our young people employed, employed with a vision.”
The menu, says Payne, is always a surprise, with a different menu every day, such as Pasta Thursday, Fried Food Friday and a seafood boil on Saturday, though some popular items such as stuffed salmon are mainstays. The menu is posted on the Babylon Eats Facebook page daily.
The Babylon Eats food truck is right on the water’s edge, with a constant breeze, plenty of parking, a tent with outdoor seating and a small stage. Payne will be doing food for the next reggae night held there. She would like to do the occasional small events herself in the future. Look for details about Babylon Eats’ official grand opening, which she hopes to hold after St. John’s Carnival at the beginning of July, with a band or DJ and a few vendors.
For now, the hours at Babylon Eats are noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed Tuesday) and from 1 to 4 or 5 p.m. on Saturdays, though she will likely expand those hours soon. After the grand opening, Payne plans to add a Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Call 954-516-8705 for more information and to place an order.