Coffee Bee rolls back within days of Sinlaku’s devastation

Just days after opening its coffee truck for the first time—and not even two weeks after Super Typhoon Sinlaku tore through Saipan—Coffee Bee is brewing hope by returning to business, its return a small but telling sign of resilience and rebirth on an island still reeling from a Category 5 storm.

Owner Ley De Guzman said the business, which operates at the Garapan Fishing Base near Marianas Medical Center along Beach Road, had barely begun operations when the typhoon forced them to shut down.

“We opened before Typhoon Sinlaku, like Saturday hen Tuesday we stopped after that,” he said.

But instead of waiting for conditions to fully stabilize, De Guzman and his family pushed to reopen the coffee truck.

“I told my wife and brother ‘we should start now working on it again,’” he said. “There’s a hope after that. We cannot just back out or step back, even there’s a lot of struggling happening. We still should start again.”

That decision has paid off—at least in spirit. Even without heavy promotion, customers have begun lining up, drawn largely by word of mouth as the island slowly regains its footing.

De Guzman credits faith and timing for the early traction. “Thank God for the blessing,” he said, noting that they had only just created a Facebook page and have yet to fully establish an online presence.

Still, operating in a post-typhoon environment comes with daily challenges. Chief among them is securing ice, a critical component for their mostly iced coffee menu, while island power remains unreliable.

“Every morning, I wake up early, then I line up… and then that’s it,” he said, describing trips to Lower Base just to secure a few bags. Before, he could get up to six or seven bags, but even that supply barely lasts through the day as demand grows.

Despite the constraints, Coffee Bee’s menu is already gaining a following. Its top sellers include caramel macchiato, Spanish latte, iced Spanish latte, Nutella latte, and peanut butter latte—most of them served cold, a testament to both customer preference and the tropical climate.

De Guzman said what sets Coffee Bee apart is the attention to detail—from freshly ground beans to a variety of milk options such as almond and full cream—along with its accessible roadside location.

The name “Coffee Bee” itself reflects a mix of practicality and inspiration. Initially juggling several ideas, De Guzman said he wasn’t fully convinced until a suggestion from his cousin sparked the final concept.

“Because my cousin called me ‘How’s Bumble Bee?’ because yellow,” he recalled. “Then that’s the time I think… I name it like Bee. So I put [coffee as part of the café’s name] because we sell coffee.”

Beyond the branding and business, De Guzman’s message is one of perseverance—especially for fellow entrepreneurs trying to recover in the wake of Sinlaku.

“For our fellow entrepreneur always trust God, keep on moving, keep developing to help the community of Saipan,” he said. “Keep dreaming, keep fighting. Don’t lose hope, don’t lose faith. We are all in this situation.”

For more information about Coffee Bee or to preorder, call (670) 989-2211.