Cafe Citrus reopens five months after Sinlaku

Cafe Citrus has reopened its doors nearly five months after Super Typhoon Sinlaku damaged the Finasisu cafe, another local business getting back on its feet after the devastating April storm.

Cafe Citrus general manager Sua Kim said the cafe reopened Sept. 14 after being closed since Sinlaku struck the CNMI.

The typhoon damaged the cafe’s air-conditioning system, walls, ceiling, and lights, while leaks caused additional damage inside the establishment. Some of its solar equipment was also blown away during the storm.

Kim said replacing the air-conditioning system was one of the biggest reasons the reopening took nearly five months. The cafe’s outdoor AC unit was blown away during Sinlaku, and replacement parts had to be brought in from Korea.

“So, we had to bring all the parts from Korea to fix our air-cons and that took very long,” Kim said.

Cafe Citrus also repainted damaged areas and replaced lights affected by leaks from the ceiling. Food supplies that could have spoiled during the prolonged power outage—including cream, cream cheese, and eggs—were discarded as a safety precaution.

Getting replacement equipment and ingredients to Saipan presented another hurdle. Kim said disruptions to shipments following Sinlaku delayed supplies, including ingredients, packaging, and air-conditioning parts ordered from Korea.

“All of them were delayed and delayed and delayed,” she said.

Despite the lengthy closure, customers quickly returned when Cafe Citrus reopened.

“I'm so happy that everyone was like saying, welcome, welcome back, we've been waiting for you guys,” Kim said.

She said both longtime and new customers have visited the cafe since its reopening. Located near Northern Marianas College, Cafe Citrus also expects students to again use the establishment as a place to study.

The five-month downtime also gave Kim time to plan new drinks and desserts for the cafe.

Among those in the pipeline is mango jasmine tea with popping pearls and mango puree. Cafe Citrus is also bringing back its Dubai chocolate treat, while its regular menu items have returned.

Kim said Matcha Ube Latte and Matcha Banana Cinnamon Latte have been among the bestselling drinks since reopening, while cheesecakes have led dessert sales.

For Kim, the reopening is also a small part of Saipan’s continuing recovery from Sinlaku. She said Cafe Citrus hopes its drinks and desserts can provide customers a little happiness as the island rebuilds.

“We just wanted to say thank you so much for welcoming us,” Kim said.

Cafe Citrus is offering 10% off its entire menu through Sept. 25 as part of its reopening promotion. It is currently open from 12:30pm to 6pm, with plans to eventually extend its hours to 9am to 6pm.

Customers may reach Cafe Citrus through Facebook, Instagram, or at (670) 483-7125.