SipTea Café brings new flavors to Chalan Laulau

Even amid an economic downturn and the aftermath of two super typhoons, another locally owned business has taken the plunge on Saipan.

SipTea Café, owned by Rizalito Tabago, recently opened at the Pangelinan Building in Chalan Laulau, offering frappes, matcha, iced coffee, and other refreshing drinks.

Store supervisor and lead barista Ederson Luzana said the idea behind SipTea was to build something of their own while creating a comfortable neighborhood spot.

“We opened SipTea Café because we wanted to build something of our own and create a simple, welcoming place where people can enjoy good drinks and relax,” Luzana said.

Opening a new business at this particular time, however, was no small decision.

With the local economy struggling and the community still recovering from two super typhoons, Luzana acknowledged that the timing presented challenges.

“It wasn’t an easy time to start, but we believed in our dream. After everything our community went through, we wanted to bring something positive and create a place where people could enjoy a little happiness,” he said.

SipTea is a small operation, something Luzana said allows its staff to concentrate on its customers and give its offerings a more personal touch.

“We’re a small café, so we really focus on our customers and giving everything a personal touch. We also love creating unique drinks, especially our Biscoff, Matcha, and Ube flavors,” he said.

The early reception has been encouraging, with two drink lines already emerging as SipTea's top sellers.

“Business has been going really well, and we’re very thankful for everyone’s support. Our Biscoff and Matcha series have been our bestsellers and have quickly become customer favorites,” Luzana said.

For its grand opening last Sunday, Sept. 27, SipTea also rolled out a “buy two drinks, get one free” promotion for its first 50 customers. Customers could choose either a Brown Sugar Milk Tea or Thai Milk Tea as their free drink.

SipTea Café is located at the Pangelinan Building in Chalan Laulau. It is open from 8am to 8pm Monday through Friday, noon to 6pm Saturday, and noon to 7pm Sunday.

Customers can also find SipTea Café on Facebook for updates on its drinks, promotions, and other announcements.