Oleai Beach Bar & Grill closure shocks loyal customers after twin super typhoons

The decision to permanently close Oleai Beach Bar & Grill has left longtime patrons and former staff heartbroken, with many telling Marianas Press they never imagined one of Saipan's most iconic sunset destinations would disappear.

Their reactions came hours after owner Seiichi Kamegai announced on social media Wednesday afternoon, July 15, that he had decided to permanently close the beachfront restaurant following months of soul-searching after Super Typhoon Sinlaku devastated the property.

"I'm just really, really sad and I do hope someone jumps in and takes it over," former manager Tamara Hunter told Marianas Press. "Managing it was the most fun job I ever had."

Hunter said the restaurant's staff eventually became like family and recalled spending quiet mornings on the deck watching baby stingrays swim through the lagoon.

"It was 15 years ago... very sad... definitely hope someone jumps in to keep it going," she said.

Mike Babauta, who frequently brought visiting sales colleagues to the restaurant, said the news immediately saddened his former teammates.

"That's actually my go-to place," Babauta said, recalling countless evenings spent there with friends and coworkers. "The staff are amazing too, always so awesome."

Radio personality Marjorie "DJ Zaiyra" Ganacias said Oleai Beach Bar & Grill had long been one of her favorite gathering places.

"I'll definitely miss the good food, the beautiful scenery, and the memories we made there," she said.

Trench Warz emcee LJ Castro said generations of residents grew up eating at the restaurant, remembering its popular taco specials long before Taco Tuesday became commonplace.

"Watching the sunset on a clear day... will forever be a lasting legend of that place," Castro said. "It's really sad that they're closing."

In his lengthy Facebook post, Kamegai said he had repeatedly wrestled with the future of the restaurant following the destruction caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku before ultimately deciding to close "the place I loved most in the world." He said the moment that convinced him came when he saw that the restaurant's longtime sign had disappeared after the storms.

"The sign. It was gone," Kamegai wrote.

He recounted designing the sign himself in 2012, transporting it from Japan, and having it installed before the restaurant opened.

"And it was gone," he wrote. "Not 'detached,' not 'fallen down,' but completely 'gone.'"

Marianas Press observed that the sign was still standing during an interview with Kamegai shortly after Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck Saipan last April, when he had already disclosed that he was contemplating permanently closing the restaurant because of the extensive storm damage. It apparently did not survive the second blow from Super Typhoon Bavi in July, after the island endured two Category 5 typhoons within less than three months.

Kamegai apologized to customers who had urged him to reopen but said he could no longer fulfill that promise.

"To everyone I promised, 'Let's meet again at OLEAI'—I am truly sorry I couldn't keep my promise," he wrote. "Thank you all so, so much for loving and cherishing OLEAI BEACH BAR & GRILL for such a long time. Goodbye, the place I loved most in the world."

The announcement quickly drew hundreds of emotional reactions online as customers shared memories spanning decades.

"One of my most favorite places to hang out. Sorry to hear this. Makes me sad," wrote Solomon Stone.

Jason Lizama said the restaurant had become part of major milestones in his family's life.

"It became the place we had our first afterschool dates, the place I spent the paydays of my very first job, our anniversary tradition, and eventually my wife's go-to pregnancy craving spot," Lizama wrote. "It breaks my heart to see you guys closing."

Others remembered signature menu items, family celebrations and sunsets overlooking the Saipan Lagoon, while former employee Yumi Maravilla thanked Kamegai for supporting his workers "especially financially."