Beach Cafe rebuilds, JC Cafe reopens; cattle industry stalled in Tinian

A week after Super Typhoon Sinlaku tore through Tinian, Beach Cafe in San Jose remains shuttered with visible storm damage, but owner Gerlie Denzer says she is determined to reopen as soon as possible and serve customers again.

“It really damaged a lot here,” Denzer said. “Actually, the roof opened and the water goes on the ceiling around. And then actually after the typhoon, when we opened the door, all the water came out, splashed out.”

Denzer said she returned to inspect the café a day after the storm passed. She added she has yet to determine the total cost of the damage, noting that spoiled supplies have added to losses.

“I cannot estimate yet because even all the stuff that I put in the refrigerator for the drinks mix, you know, the smoothies, everything… that is, you know, spoiled already. I cannot get use that anymore. Yeah, it's a lot,” Denzer said.

Despite the setback, she said customers can expect the café to reopen.

“I’m not sure yet, but we try to do more faster because I know that, you know, people really asking when you guys are going to open,” she said. “Just be patient and I promise you guys that we’re going to be open soon. We try our best to give back and serve you guys your favorite coffee and drinks.”

A stone’s throw away from Beach Café, JC Cafe has resumed full operations after initially offering only a limited menu in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

Operations manager Lot Bunao said the business faced multiple challenges, including damage to critical infrastructure.

“During a typhoon Sinlaku, the generators were really damaged. So, we asked for some help to get some parts. So, right now, we're just running the operation with a generator supply,” Bunao said.

She added that employee housing was also hit.

“As of this time, we don't have that damage, only the barracks,” Bunao said, noting that four employees were displaced and had to stay in a shelter.

The disruption forced the café to scale back temporarily.

“That’s why we limited also our menus,” she said.

With repairs underway, Bunao said JC Cafe is now back to its full menu and has seen strong customer support.

“I really appreciate our customers, because they're very supportive when we open, and they're very happy that we also have generator, and they're able to connect and charge with their cell phone,” she said.

Meanwhile, Tinian’s cattle industry has largely avoided catastrophic losses, although operations remain hampered by ongoing power outages.

Jose M. Dela Cruz, chairman of the Tinian Cattlemen’s Association, said no livestock deaths have been reported so far.

“Not that I know of at this point in time,” he said when asked about fatalities.

However, he said infrastructure damage and utility disruptions continue to pose challenges.

“Well, other than the usual destruction of fence line and, you know, roadways to get to the cattle, you know, we're pretty much used to this,” Dela Cruz said. “But we're working also with the mayor's office and, of course, our partner with FEMA to try to figure out a way how they can help us with the water situation because we don't have any power generation on the island.”

He said water access for livestock has only recently improved.

“So, finally, since yesterday (April 21), we are pretty much online,” he said, referring to water supply for cattle.

Still, the lack of power from the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. has forced a halt to slaughterhouse operations and exports to Saipan.

“At this point in time, because of the power issue that we're having, likewise on Saipan and here on Tinian, we kind of put a hold on the slaughter facility at this point in time until we get [power] back,” Dela Cruz said.

“Because even if we slaughter the animals, we still need cold storage. And also our customers on Saipan also, they don't have any means to store frozen products. So, in the meantime, we just have to wait a little bit longer for it to come back to operation,” he added.