Petrus Plaza BVI, which will also include a food court, will be employing some 30 locals in the first phase and some 55 to 65 persons when the entire project is completed, owner Mr Allison Petrus aka ‘Allie’ told Virgin Islands News Online in an exclusive interview.

The businessman from the US Virgin Islands (USVI), who spent much of his boyhood days in the Virgin Islands with his grandmother in Brewers Bay, said the first phase of the plaza includes the construction of the gas station and drive-thru car wash, which there will be a soft opening for likely in the first half of December.

Mr Petrus said there will then be a grand opening in January, after the holidays.

“It is what we will call a plaza because it has multiple business operations there. It will obviously be anchored by the gas station and a drive-thru car wash, which is a new dimension to what we have in the BVI.”

Touchless drive–thru car wash

According to Mr Petrus, the exciting thing about the car wash is that it is actually touchless “and so you don’t have to worry about your car being scratched by brushes and what have you.” According to the businessman, bio-degradable chemicals will be used in the car wash. “It gives the car a very clean wash actually.”

Mr Petrus said there is a similar car wash on St Thomas and it has been getting good reviews, “and so we wanted to bring that to the BVI also because everything we do we try to take it to a next level.”

This will be the second time a drive-thru car wash will be open for business in the VI. The first was opened in Duff's Bottom, Tortola, some years ago but is no longer in existence.

Meanwhile, the construction of the gas station is almost complete, with finishing touches being done.

The service station, which will go by the name 'PG Gas Station', will supply BP gas.

“Our gas is supplied by a BP (British Petroleum) supplier in Puerto Rico, therefore our gas is a BP product,” Mr Petrus said.

Food Court

“We are going to have a food court in the second phase of our development. We are going to be leasing out the food court and we do have some individuals who are going to be bringing something exciting of which I can’t discuss at this time but I am sure the people are going to be excited about it.”

Mr Petrus noted too that the buildings are being constructed to withstand hurricanes. Local entity Quality Construction, headed by Mr Roy L. Garraway aka ‘Yellow’, has been tasked with construction and, according to Mr Petrus, “there are a lot of different things that we are bringing from a construction standpoint…Quality Construction has being doing an awesome job with it.”

The Petrus family has been in business for some 18 years now, starting with the Subway franchise on St Thomas and also owned an IHOP franchise. Petrus Plaza was then established on Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas and included its first gas station ‘PG Gas’ and Sbarro Pizza Restaurant.

Coming home to ‘my roots’

Mr Petrus shared that investing in the Virgin Islands is like coming home for him.

“I am going home to my roots because I was born in St Thomas but I grew up in Brewers Bay with my grandmother. When I got to school age I spent all my summers there as a young boy. That is where I learnt to enjoy nature, attending to the cows... This is coming back home for me.”

Mr Petrus also noted that the family business prides itself getting involved in the community. “Wherever we operate we get involved heavily in the community and we are going to be doing the same thing there.”