Above: the entrance to Island Roots (all photos by CJ)

By Alexander Britell

ROAD TOWN — The Virgin Gorda ferry was leaving soon, which meant about 15 minutes to spare on the narrow back streets of Road Town.

So it was hard to ignore the small opening in a low-slung grey building that promised fresh coffee.

For decades, this structure had served as the customs house in Tortola’s capital, Road Town.

Today, this place is all about a different kind of duty: filling Tortola’s cups with high-grade java.

The eclectic Island Roots actually shares its historic home with a shop called Hucksters, peddling everything from jewelry to photographs to gifts to deck furniture.

This island, is by most counts, now home to three full-fledged cafes, a welcome sign for the English-speaking Caribbean, most of whose capitals are largely devoid of them.

And on an early morning in Tortola, racing to the ferry dock, it was just what was needed.