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Winchell’s celebrates grand opening of new location today
Long-time Winchell’s employees and staff, from right, Lilein Boaz, operations manager Laidy Ignacio, and store manager Boboy Borja pose for a photo at their new location in Garapan yesterday. (Dennis B. Chan)
Operations manager Laidy Ignacio would like to thank the community for its undying support over the nearly the 30 years Winchell’s has been operating on Saipan and Guam. They first opened shop on Saipan in 1987, according to her.
Ignacio has been with the donut and coffee shop for 27 years. Starting as a clerk, she moved up to become supervisor, and then store manager, and then operations manager for both Winchell’s locations on island.
“It hasn’t all been easy,” she said. “But I enjoy what I’m doing.”
And the community enjoys her work, too. With the hot coffee, clam chowder, and dozens of donuts it has to offer, children, couples, tourists, and whole families have come to appreciate what the modest coffee shop has had to offer since 1987.
The long-time Winchell’s employee even noticed the face of this reporter. “Oh, you’re Norman’s son!” she said. She joked that she’d still be around when I eventually bring my own kids, too.
Winchell’s president Jay Noble first opened “Bugler Winchell,” a coffee and donut shop in Tokyo, Japan in the early ’80s, Ignacio said. But the shop could not make much business and closed, she added.
Noble then tried his luck in Guam and Saipan, and the shops have remained in the islands since then. “I remember some other donut shops that have started before,” Ignacio said. “But Winchell’s is still here.”
She described the shop as the “pioneer for donuts” in the islands.
The shop is also expected to have new additions to their menu soon.
“Keep posted,” operations consultant Margerie Acebedo said to all Winchell’s patrons out there. “Be looking out for our new products coming up next year. We’ll have new drinks and new value combos to captivate all our all our cultures on island.”
This would add to the bento boxes, sub sandwiches, bagels, pandesal, muffins, soups, coffee drinks, and donuts they already offer.
Ignacio maintained that while they saw that their new location could provide better exposure for lighting and tourists, Winchell’s is still a family location.
“We want locals to be our main priority,” she said.
The new Winchell’s features a more comfy and spacious design, she said, and enjoys a fair amount of sun. With their accommodating staff, she said, she hopes to meet the community for their donuts and coffee needs for years to come.
