Tinian residents and tourists have a new place to get their caffeine fix with the opening of Beach Café on Dec. 10.
Owner Girlie Mendiola Denzer, a barista with 30 years of experience, said opening the San Jose coffee shop was a dream come true.
“My dream is to have a coffee shop of my own, because I’ve been working in a coffee shop,” said Denzer, a native of Caloocan, Philippines.
Before moving to Tinian, where her husband works for Black Micro, Denzer served as chief barista at Dusit Thani Guam’s Dusit Gourmet.
“I’m the one who managed that from the beginning—the menu, everything,” Denzer said. “The F&B director would ask me every month to create seven kinds of drinks. Because of that, I got used to it. And I really love to experiment with things when it comes to making drinks.”
Before Dusit Gourmet, Denzer also had a stint with Hyatt Regency Guam.
As for the lightbulb moment that led to opening Beach Café on Tinian, Denzer said that as a coffee lover, she wanted to have a fresh brew whenever she craved one.
“When I got here on Tinian, I found a place to get coffee, but that place is sometimes closed. There’s a certain time for them to be open,” she said. “I told my husband, ‘Oh, I want to have a business here — a coffee shop — because that’s what I have in my work experience.’”
Aside from having three decades of café experience, Denzer said coming to Tinian was also a full-circle moment for her, having worked for JC Café in the early 1990s.
“That’s why when I have this, I said, ‘Oh yes, Lord, thank you,’” she said. “It’s insane. It’s a dream come true.”
One month after opening, Denzer said her quaint coffee shop has received rave reviews from island residents and tourists alike.
“They love my coconut milkshake with ice cream on top,” she said, adding that Beach Café’s dirty matcha, cinnamon tres leches, and sponge coffee have also become customer favorites.
Asked about promotions, Denzer said Beach Café offers a loyalty card program, where a $5 purchase earns one stamp, and 10 stamps can be redeemed for a free coffee.
Beach Café is open Monday through Saturday from 7am to 8pm. It can comfortably seat 27 customers. For more information or advance orders, call (670) 484-3950.
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