Born and raised in Linstead, St. Catherine Parish, Jamaica, Andrew Morris was the ‘washbelly’ of eight children (a Jamaican term for the youngest child) and heavily involved in church life, believing he was destined to become a priest. It didn’t turn out that way.
Immigrating to the U.S. in 1979, Morris endured the typical culture shock of a young man from a small island landing in New York City. But he settled into the rhythm of the big city, graduating from college and working his way up from proofreader and copy editor to associate editor at a publishing company. From there, he earned an MBA at Columbia University.
“It was a grueling but life-changing experience,” says Morris, who used this blend of creativity and business savvy to start, with his wife Jean, Sam’s Caribbean Marketplace in West Hempstead, New York, from the ground up, after noticing there were no real Caribbean-owned stores where he lived on Long Island. “I thought to myself, ‘Somebody’s got to supply these customers properly.’ Caribbean folks deserve a place where people actually know the products, use the products, and can explain the difference between, say, a scotch bonnet pepper and a habanero.”
Following is a Q&A with Morris, who, 30 years later, is still very hands-on, steering the store’s strategic vision, overseeing operations, and “making sure we never lose that heart and authenticity that’s been part of Sam’s since day one.”
Q.) What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far?
When we made $500 in a single day for the first time, we popped a champagne bottle — and left a dent in the ceiling that’s still there. We needed $800 a day just to break even back then, so $500 felt like a mountain climbed. We celebrated every small win in those early days because we knew how hard it was just to keep the lights on.
Q.) What are the company’s core products and features?
At Sam’s, we’re proud to offer over 1,000 authentic Caribbean products. We’re talking about everything from Haitian Djon Djon Mushrooms, Excelsior Water Crackers, and St. Mary’s Banana Chips as well as the herbs and spices you need for a proper Sunday dinner. We also offer prepared meals of such island favorites as Jamaican beef patties, braised oxtails, curried chicken, jerk chicken, ackee and saltfish, and curried goat.
These aren’t just items on a shelf — these are the flavors we grew up with. They’re pieces of home. And now, thanks to the upgrades we’ve made to our website, sams24-7.com, and our door-to-door grocery delivery service to Jamaica, customers across the U.S. and beyond can enjoy them, too.
Q.) What are some of the challenges you encountered and how did you overcome those challenges?
We’ve had to roll with the punches from the very beginning. Right before we were set to open, someone from the building department came and said, ‘You don’t have a permit.’ I said, ‘Of course we do.’ Turns out, the permit had been rescinded after a last-minute zoning change.. I still remember them telling us it would be $250 per day if we opened anyway.
We fought hard, worked with the mayor, and eventually got through it. But it delayed us by months and almost cost us the business before we even got started.
Today, the battles are different. Competing with big-box retailers and e-commerce giants has been no small task. But we’ve adapted — we modernized our operations, relaunched our website, and even rolled out Predictive AI Delivery (PAID), allowing same-day and scheduled deliveries for customers within 100 miles. As I always say: sometimes coffee, sometimes tea — you take what you get and you keep going.
Q.) How has the company’s technology evolved since launching?
When we first launched a website 20 years ago, it was a miracle we got anything done. I built it myself on a Windows platform. You couldn’t even keep a photo in place! But even back then, the day after we launched, we got two orders.
Now, fast-forward to today — we have a fully upgraded e-commerce platform, real-time order tracking, and same-day delivery systems.
“Technology isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore — it’s essential for how we stay connected to our customers, no matter where they are.”
Q.) Can you share any specific customer success stories?
One that touched me recently was a woman who called and said she and her husband were both homebound in wheelchairs. She used our same-day delivery to order dinner, and she said it made her feel connected again to her Caribbean roots.
Moments like that remind me why we do what we do. It’s not just about food — it’s about bringing a little piece of home to someone who really needs it.
Q.) Can you discuss funding and/or revenue metrics?
Sam’s was originally funded through a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan, which helped us secure our first retail space. Our early online business once brought in around $400,000 annually at its peak. Today, I can share that we are targeting a return to — and beyond — those earlier numbers through strategic online growth.
Q:) What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing?
Our core audience consists of the 4.4 million Caribbean-Americans who are living in the United States, and anyone who loves Caribbean food and culture. But honestly, our reach is global. With improved shipping and technology, we now serve customers not just across the U.S., but in places as far as Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean itself.
Q.) What differentiates the company from its competition?
Simple: authenticity and expertise. We’re Caribbean-owned. We grew up with these products. When you shop at Sam’s, you’re not just buying groceries — you’re getting a piece of our story, our culture, our love.
Other big-box stores can sell you coconut water. We can tell you which coconut water tastes like the ones you drank as a kid.
Q.) What are some of the company’s future goals?
Our dream is for Sam’s to become the go-to Caribbean grocery destination, both online and on the ground.
When people think of Caribbean groceries, we want Sam’s to be the first name that comes to mind — whether they’re in New York, California, or wherever. We’re also working to grow our Predictive AI Delivery service and expand same-day options even further.
Q.) Any other topics you would like to discuss?
I just want to say a big thank you to our hardworking employees who make all of this possible. Thanks also to our faithful customers. Some have been with us for decades. Sam’s isn’t just a store — it’s a meeting place, a memory, a home away from home. And we intend to keep it that way.
As we continue to grow and innovate, our heart remains the same: honoring our Caribbean roots and serving our community with love, integrity, and passion.
I joke that I never woke up thinking I’d run a Caribbean store — but here we are, over 30 years later.
Photos courtesy of Sam’s Caribbean Kitchen and Wikimedia Commons. The video is courtesy of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery.
The U.S. Virgin Islands are a popular destination for spring break and summer travel — St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix are among the most popular destinations for travel and sailing in that region.
However, there is an increasingly popular, different option to set sail to, beat the crowds and explore some of earth’s most beautiful beaches: The Spanish Virgin Islands. Primarily consisting of the islands of Culebra and Vieques, part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, The Spanish Virgin Islands are located east of the main island of Puerto Rico and west of St. Thomas, making them accessible hidden gems.
Vieques. J.Kiva Matousek/Wikimedia
Among those hidden gems is a sailing itinerary with Dream Yacht Worldwide (DYW) that leaves from St. Thomas and explores The Spanish Virgin Islands.
This special itinerary offers travelers the opportunity to discover Culebra and Vieques and enjoy these tropical islands featuring long, less-crowded beaches, near-empty anchorages, rare flora and fauna, and world-class snorkeling.
Vieques at Night. Photo: JHill/Wikimedia Commons
An alternative to the traditional U.S. Virgin Islands or British Virgin Islands sailing trip, the Spanish Virgin Islands itinerary also includes stops at must-see destinations including the award-winning Flamenco Beach and Punta Arenas aka “Green Beach” – park of the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, offering scenic views of the main island of Puerto Rico and El Yunque, the only rain forest in the US Parks system.
You can view DYW’s Spanish Virgin Islands itinerary here. And with Dream Yacht, no sailing experience is necessary with the option to have a skipper for non-experienced sailors and bareboat for those who prefer to sail themselves. This special Spanish Virgin Island itinerary offers both options, as do most of DYW’s vacations.
Dream Yacht Worldwide (DYW) is a leading sea-vacation company, experts in sailing vacations and for good reason: DYW offers almost double the number of bases worldwide compared to its leading competitors in the space. More bases and more itineraries to explore the most popular sailing destinations as well as the less-traveled, hidden gems.
Windward, leeward, jib, and jibe. This may all sound like gibberish to non-sailors, but that doesn’t mean a sailing vacation is off the table. Dream Yacht Worldwide (DYW), a leading sea-based vacation and global yacht charter company, is on a mission to make sailing trips accessible and as easy as possible for all. And what better way to jump right in to a sailing vacation than with a winter escape or sharing the gift of a sailing trip?
In addition to the opportunity of chartering a private boat with family and friends, sailing and yacht vacations allow travelers the opportunity to have several experiences in one trip, plus the ability to access smaller ports that larger cruise lines and planes cannot always enter.
Dream Yacht vacations also offer the opportunity for local, immersive experiences; off-shore excursions and new discoveries; watersports and group tours and activities; plus, plenty of days relaxing on the water.
Travelers have the freedom to plan itineraries based on personal preferences and interests. The best part? You only have to unpack your bags once.
For the person who has it all, consider giving the gift of a Dream Yacht Worldwide sailing experience this holiday season. Here are some of the many DYW global sailing options for the traveler who already has it all.
Enjoy the start of 2024 in the Caribbean: Always a popular choice for a winter escape, Dream Yacht is offering several options in the beautiful Caribbean for a truly magical experience. The island-planned celebrations often feature beach parties, lively music, and spectacular fireworks displays that illuminate the night sky over the crystal-clear waters.
With the backdrop of palm-fringed beaches and the soothing sound of the ocean, celebrating New Year’s in the Caribbean is a unique and unforgettable way to welcome the year ahead. While Dream Yacht offers several warm-weather vacation options in the Caribbean, here are 3 of the company’s recommended cruising experiences to ring in the new year: British Virgin Islands ; U.S. Virgin Islands; and St. Martin.
Take advantage of an “Easy Crewed” option: For travelers who have always wanted to try a sailing vacation but lack sailing experience, or even the time to plan, Dream Yacht Worldwide’s Easy Crewed Charter is the ideal option and a great way to celebrate holidays with family and friends. Step on board a private yacht with up to ten family members or friends and experience a fantastic week of sailing from DYW’s bases in Greece, Croatia, the British Virgin Islands, Martinique, Tahiti, or the Seychelles. On board, travelers find comfortable private cabins with ensuite baths, plus spacious areas for dining and lounging.
Travelers have everything they need for the ready-made escape, including an experienced skipper and an optional host/ess with full or half board meals. Skippers whisk guests away to the best hidden coves, islands and seaside villages, while on land travelers can to hire a car or scooter to explore even more.
A small Canadian company, Miski specializes in non-allergen, organic, cultivated sustainably, and fully able to be traced to their sources foods. Nut allergies?
Then check out their Sacha Inchi Butter and Sacha Inchi Cocho Butter made from made from roasted sacha inchi seeds which are found in a fruit native to the Caribbean and South America and considered a superfood. But that’s not their only product.
Indeed, with a focus on Peruvian foods, they also have a Yacon Syrup made from yacon tubers that grow in highlands of the Peruvian highlands and is used as a sweetener, has a caramel taste, and contains less calories than sugar.
Yacon Flakes are good to eat as a snack and as an ingredient in trail mix. Dark Chocolate Covered Pineapple Chunks, Chia Seeds, Ripe Banana Powder, and Vegan Quinoa Carrot Cake to name just a few. And there are recipes, which is great since these are unique ingredients.
Inca Bits
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup dark chia seeds
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1 cup sacha inchi butter or sacha inchi choco butter
1 tbsp yellow maca powder
1/3 cup maple syrup
(Optional) Chocolate coating:
3/4 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil
In a medium bowl, stir oats, chia, maca & salt. Add sacha inchi butter & maple syrup to the mix and stir.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Wet hands and form dough into about 12-15 balls.
Place bits on parchment paper and put in freezer.
Place cacao and coconut oil in a small pot, add maple syrup and heat until melted. Remove from heat. Once the mixture has cooled (but not hardened), dip bits in using your hands or tongs. You should have a solid coat. Add Himalayan salt on top, then freeze on prepared parchment until hardened.
Store Inca Pits in a glass container. Enjoy cold or at room temperature, alone or with tea.
No, I didn’t know there was an International Pirate Talk Like a Pirate Day (IPTLAPD for short) either. Luckily Mindy Bianca alerted me that it was a global event and gave me some background. Created by two friends in Oregon back in 1995. I shiver my timbers (whatever that means) just thinking of all those IPTLPAD good times I’ve missed for the last 26 years.
But not anymore! I’m up to date on IPTLPAD and Mindy has kindly pointed out places with historical ties to pirates as well as destinations which feature pirate-related events, tours, restaurants, and attractions.
Mindy wants to assure anyone who asks that she knows that pirates aren’t good guys and gals.
“They were scallywags who did things that would certainly not make their mamas proud, so we’re not here to celebrate their achievements … just to acknowledge their existence and the role they played in history,” she says, adding that pirates, no matter how bad they were, are certainly part of our pop culture.
So all hands on deck as we get started with our tour of all things pirate with a look at coastal Louisiana where pirate Jean Lafitte is legendary and intertwined with big moments in Louisiana’s history.
Not a whole lot is known about the early years of Lafitte, who claimed to be born in France–but can you really trust what a pirate tells you? We do know he ultimately made his way to the Gulf of Mexico with his brother Pierre to make his fortune—but not by hard work. Among his most horrible act was smuggling enslaved people.
“His bad behavior worked to Louisiana’s incredible advantage during the Battle of New Orleans, the final conflict of the War of 1812. Lafitte agreed to fight on the side of the Americans – General Andrew Jackson gave him the choice of assisting the American cause or going to jail – and the Americans were victorious against the British in great part because Lafitte and his buccaneers knew the bayous and waterways so well,” Mindy tells me. “It certainly didn’t hurt that they were no gentlemen; they ignored the established rules of engagement and used whatever means necessary to get the job done. The pirates led the British into the swamps, for example, and ambushed them or just let them get lost among the alligators and snakes.”
After all, pirates operate on the principle of “dead men tell no tales.”
*Please note that this region was recently impacted by Hurricane Ida, so now isn’t the best time to visit. Please put these on your list to visit in the future!
In his later years, Jean Lafitte established headquarters in Galveston, Texas, so he spent some time near the southwestern part of Louisiana. But in his earlier years he dominated the southeastern part of the state, where today you’ll find four of the six sites of his eponymous national park. Two of those park sites are within MBPR’s client destinations.
The Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Lafourche Parish are also known as Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou. Though the center itself, located in the town of Thibodaux, focuses on the region’s Cajun heritage, rangers there tell us that Bayou Lafourche, the body of water for which the parish is named, was among Lafitte’s preferred smuggling routes. He’d load and unload his cargo at the mouth of the bayou. But he and his band of pirates also aided the U.S. by preventing the British from accessing the body of water during the Battle of New Orleans. It’s a job they took very seriously indeed.
Over in Jefferson Parish, in the little town of Marrero, the national park site is called Barataria Preserve and it offers an incredible peek inside the wild wetlands of Louisiana. The preserve features 26,000 acres of bayous, swamps, marshes and forests that are home to plenty of alligators, plus more than 200 bird species and an array of plants and wildflowers. Wander along its boardwalk on a self-guided tour or accompany a ranger on a Wetlands Walk (tours are offered at 10 a.m. every Wednesday through Sunday) and it’s easy to see how Lafitte and his hearties could easily vanish in these swamps.
*Please note that this region was recently impacted by Hurricane Ida, so now isn’t the best time to visit. Please put this on your list to visit in the future!
Jean Fafitte is one of two towns in Jefferson Parish named for Louisiana’s favorite pirate (the other is just called “Lafitte.”) The region was a huge draw for Lafitte who found its bayous, swamps and waterways the perfect cover for his illegal activities. He favored places on Bayou Barataria, whose dark depths hide all kinds of secrets. Visitors can tour the region’s mysterious swamps (alligator sightings guaranteed!), enjoy some of the best seafood ever, and learn the history of the people who make their home here.
Jean Lafitte Harbor is one of the stops on the new “Soul of the South” tour itinerary, which was designed to help visitors learn the many untold stories of Native, Creole and African Americans in South Louisiana. The harbor is located along Lafitte’s favored smuggling routes.
Lafitte was a busy, well-traveled guy who sailed along and through the waterways of the state’s southernmost reaches. Legend has it that as he and his band of buccaneers were making their way west toward Galveston, enemy ships gave chase. To avoid being captured Laffite and his crew hid amongst the waterways of what would become Lake Charles. According to legend, their very favorite hangout was a place now called “Contraband Bayou,” an apt name given that Lafitte and his crew were reputed to have buried a treasure trove of silver and gold there.
This legend is celebrated in early May with the Louisiana Pirate Festival, which takes place on both land and sea. A highlight of the event is the reenactment of Lafitte and his band taking over the city, complete with cannons firing and the mayor “walking the plank.” Costumes are encouraged, and the event features live music, plenty of rations and grog, carnival rides, and appropriately themed pirate booty for purchase.
Louisiana loves a festival, and the Louisiana Pirate Festival in Lake Charles is one of the best.
We’re changing course now, away from Jean Lafitte and Louisiana and sailing on to other parts of the country, not all of which have their own pirate history but do subscribe to the theory that it’s “a pirate’s life for me.”
The Kalmar Nyckel is the official Tall Ship of Delaware, a sailing ambassador that serves as a floating classroom and encourages visitors to learn about the maritime heritage of Delaware and its historic ties to Sweden and Finland. The ship is a replica of the original Kalmar Nyckel, which was known as the “Swedish Mayflower” because it brought the settlers who founded the colony of New Sweden here in 1638 and thereby established the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. That wasn’t a pirate ship, but today’s Kalmar Nyckel hosts a Pirate Festival each June just for fun. Guests can climb aboard the ship for cannon and craft demonstrations and a variety of pirate-related activities. On select weekends when the ship is docked in Wilmington (it often travels throughout the Mid-Atlantic), visitors can also go out for pirate sails. This month’s 90-minute sails will depart on Sunday, September 19 (International Talk Like a Pirate Day!) and 26.
We’re not sure that pirates knew anything about reading and writing then that the letter X marks the spot. But the tiny pirates you find in Allegany County, on The Mountain Side of Maryland, definitely enjoy a good book. This summertime event hosted by the Children’s Literature Center of Frostburg State University is expected to return to its usual roost along Main Street of Frostburg (in 2021 the event moved to a park as a COVID precaution) on July 6 next year. Full crews of costumed lads and lassies and their parents take part in all manner of buccaneer activities, including pirate-themed crafts and treasure hunts. A children’s book author is always invited to present a reading and book-signing of their pirate-themed book; the 2022 author has not yet been announced.
Just one of the crew of small pirates who descend upon Frostburg, Maryland for the adventure of reading.
One of the oldest city’s in the U.S. Mobile was founded three centuries ago, and as an important port on the Gulf of Mexico, it’s certainly seen a pirate or two. No make that a lot more. To prove our point, consider the following. In 1711, British privateers pillaged neighboring Dauphin Island. In 1815, Jean Lafitte (yep, him again!) and his brother Pierre sold their ship, the Adventurer, in Mobile. River pirates such as Paddy Scott raided cargo barges as they tried to make their way to and around Mobile. The stories of these 18th- and 19th-century pirates and more are recounted during a 90-minute walking tour around Mobile’s waterfront. A costumed guide offers guests a step back in time back, teaching them to talk like a pirate and sing a sea chanty while also giving them a few “pointers” in sword fighting.
Mobile
A Bounty of Pirate Activities
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama
Local lore tells us that the bays and coves on the north side of this part of coastal Alabama once provided shelter to pirates and privateers who sailed their ships into countless protected areas that hid them from view. Modern-day visitors looking for a taste of the pirate life can grab a bushwacker (a favorite local cocktail) and burger at Pirate’s Cove restaurant near the town of Elberta, which is about a 30-minute drive from Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and an even shorter boat ride. The dog-friendly atmosphere assures that your best first mate can come along on the adventure, too. Back in Orange Beach, the youngest swashbucklers enjoy climbing aboard the Pirate Cruise that leaves Hudson Marina at Skull Harbor. They take to the high seas with a crew in full garb and learn about the pirates who once sailed these waters. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, those lads and lassies might also appreciate the Pirates & Princesses Breakfast served at The Hangout, a legendary restaurant in Gulf Shores. For one of their famed cocktail recipes see below.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
What’s Dolly Parton’s connection to pirates? Well, like Dolly, the swashbucklers in her employ are a fun-loving crew … multi-talented and great at keeping an audience entertained. The first Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show opened in 2011 in Myrtle Beach, which has plenty of ties to Captain Edward Teach, a.k.a. “Blackbeard.” At the dinner show, a modern-day Blackbeard leads two incredibly athletic crews, the Sapphire Pirates and the Crimson Pirates, who battle on deck, in the water and in the sky above a pair of full-sized pirate ships docked in a 15-foot indoor lagoon. The show features acrobatic competitions and an original music score by Dolly and Mark Brymer. The show also includes a four-course pirate feast. Who knew that pirates enjoy buttery biscuits and crispy fried chicken as much as landlubbers do? The Myrtle Beach theater proved so successful that in 2019 Dolly decided to bring the show to Pigeon Forge, already home to her Dollywood theme park. In November and December, the fun-loving pirates in Myrtle Beach truly get into the holiday spirit, adding a little “ho-ho-ho” to their usual “yo-ho-ho.”
Leaving the continental United States, we set sail for the Caribbean.
Sunset Resorts
Negril and Montego Bay, Jamaica
Pirates abounded in Jamaica in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. One, Henry Morgan, even became the island’s lieutenant governor. But perhaps Jamaica’s most famous pirate was “Calico” Jack Rackham, who’s credited with introducing the now-famous Jolly Roger flag. Jack, who is said to have earned his nickname because of his preference for calico clothing including his underpants, and his band of pirates made themselves at home in Negril while they pillaged merchant and fishing vessels along the north shores of Jamaica.
His crew included two female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who were said to be much more ruthless than any of their male counterparts. Calico Jack and members of his crew were captured in Negril, which is where today you’ll find Sunset at the Palms, an adults-only, all-inclusive resort. Its family-friendly sister properties in Montego Bay, Sunset Beach Resort, Spa & Waterpark and Oasis at Sunset, share a campus that features a pirate-themed water park.
This luxury resort on St. Croix gets its name from buccaneer Jean Martel, who in the early 1700s made his fortune hijacking ships in the waters surrounding Jamaica. When Martel traveled to St. Croix for supplies, Jamaican officials received a tip that he was in the Virgin Islands and sent a warship into Christiansted harbor to capture him. Trying to escape, Martel ran his ship aground just off Beauregard Bay, right where one of the resort’s beachfront restaurants sits today.
Martel along with some of his crew were able to escape in one of the pirate’s sloops, but others were forced to hide on the island as authorities confiscated their remaining ships. As for the gold? We don’t know as no record exists that it was ever discovered. But then would you admit it?
Anyway, for the last three centuries rumors have run rampant that the gold is buried somewhere on the island. When the Armstrong family opened The Buccaneer in 1947– the resort is still owned by the Armstrong family and is run by the third generation–guests often spent their days searching for the gold. They never found it, nor did the construction crews who built Beauregard’s on the Beach, the restaurant that sits where the treasure is said to have been buried.
And here’s a final entry you probably didn’t expect:
Cooperstown has nothing to do with pirates … unless you count the name of one of the 30 Major League Baseball teams represented at its famous museum dedicated to baseball. But why are the Pittsburgh Pirates called Pirates? The team used to be named the Alleghenys, but according to Major League Baseball, it’s due to their habit of plundering players from other teams that they became informally known as “pirates.” The team officially took the name in 1891. The Hall of Fame and Museum is a treasure chest of baseball artifacts, and the “Starting Nine” is a collection of nine key artifacts from each Major League team. Among the nine items currently on display for the Pirates are Roberto Clemente’s retired #21 jersey; Willie Stargell’s 1979 World Series bat; and an incredibly rare Honus Wagner T206 baseball card, considered one of the “Holy Grails” among card collectors.
Avast, me hearties. We hope you’ll celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day in style! Wear your calico bloomers, perch a parrot on your shoulder, watch a few of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise movies, and above all, avoid walking the plank.
Surf’s Up Cocktail from The Hangout
Yield: 1 serving.
Fill a 12 ounce glass with ice cubes.
Add: 1 ounce Bacardi light rum, 1 ounce Malibu coconut rum and 1/2 ounces peach schnapps.
Then carefully, to keep colors as separate as possible, pour enough pineapple juice in one side of the glass and cranberry juice in the opposite side to fill the glass. Top with a generous drizzle of Blue Curacao. Garnish, if desired, with an orange slice and a cherry, which you stick on the end of a straw.
