Panda House owners push forward after Sinlaku, expand menu and vision

Panda House Waffles' new owners say they are determined to keep growing the popular Garapan dessert shop despite the challenges brought by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, crediting careful storm preparations, community support, and a steady stream of customers since reopening.

Kim Ocampo, who co-owns the business with her brother Adrian Ocampo, said the cafe sustained only minimal damage during the typhoon after staff secured equipment, decorations, and glass windows before the storm arrived. The business has also applied for a U.S. Small Business Administration loan to help recover losses from spoiled inventory.

"What we did is we put everything in to secure, and we secured all the glass windows," Kim said. "We did take a loan, and we are still waiting for the results. Hopefully, we get approved."

The shop reopened on May 9 after power was restored. Kim estimated food losses at between $2,000 and $5,000 after ice cream, meat and other inventory spoiled during the extended outage that followed the storm.

Despite the setback, the owners say business has been stronger than expected.

"After the storm, we actually gained a lot of customers, actually more than we expected," Kim said. "We never expected a lot of people to come in for desserts and ice cream."

She said many residents were eager for frozen treats at a time when numerous households remained without electricity and grocery stores had limited ice cream supplies.

The shop has also become a popular stop for federal first responders and recovery workers.

"They always say that they appreciate us opening until 9pm because they said that there’s not a lot of establishments open. Every time they get out of work, everyone's closed," Kim said.

The Ocampos quietly took over Panda House about two years ago after purchasing the business from former owner, Tzu Ming Sheu. Both had worked for the company before becoming owners and were already familiar with its day-to-day operations.

Since taking over, they have upgraded the shop's appearance with fresh paint, new decorations and large waffle-themed displays. They have also expanded the menu, doubling their ice cream selection from six to 12 flavors while introducing additional food offerings and planning more changes.

Among the new and upcoming items are additional finger foods, new fry flavors and smash burgers designed to complement the shop's dessert lineup.

"Our goal is to continue improving every year," Kim said. "So within the two years of taking over, we actually changed a lot of things and improved a lot of things. So our goal is to keep on growing."

Kim said she wants Panda House to be known for more than just waffles and ice cream.

"From the beginning, we didn't really want to define ourselves like a cafe, a traditional cafe," she said. "That's why we want to be known as a dessert destination that everyone would want to experience."

She added that the business aims to stand out by offering products that cannot be found elsewhere on Saipan, including its Hong Kong-style waffles and expanded dessert selections.

"I believe we stand out because we have unique treats that others don't have," Kim said. "It's our way of standing out and being unique on our own ways."

Panda House Waffles is located on Alaihai Avenue in Garapan, near the I Love Saipan store. The cafe is open daily, from 11am to 9pm on weekdays and from 10:30am to 9pm on weekends. Customers may contact the business at (670) 233-5527, visit its Facebook page, "Panda House Waffles Official," or follow its Instagram account, @pdhwafflessaipan.