McDonald’s Saipan honors partners

McDonald’s Saipan presents a $3,000 to the Salvation Army as part of its 25th anniversary donation during the company’s Vendor Appreciation Dinner Monday night at the Giovanni’s Restaurant of Hyatt Regency Saipan. (Mark Rabago)

McDonald’s Saipan gave its partners a fitting salute during the company’s Vendor Appreciation Dinner that also commemorated its silver anniversary Monday night at the Giovanni’s Restaurant of Hyatt Regency Saipan.

Jose “Joe” Cruz Ayuyu, president and owner/operator of McDonald’s Saipan, said the fastfood franchisee is dedicating the whole evening to its vendors.

“We want to honor them and thank them for sticking with McDonald’s during the turbulent times and the good times. We’re very fortunate to have [such] partners…on the island,” he said.

Later in the evening, McDonald’s Saipan gave corporate awards made out of crystal in the shape of French fries to five vendors that have served the company since Day 1: Herman’s Modern Bakery, Coca-Cola Beverage Co. (Micronesia), Matson, Inc., Calvo’s Insurance, and Yaong Corp.

Jose “Joe” Cruz Ayuyu, president and owner/operator of McDonald’s Saipan, and Marcia Ayuyu, who is the company’s owner/operator, speaks about the opening of McDonald’s Saipan during the company’s Vendor Appreciation Dinner Monday night at the Giovanni’s Restaurant of Hyatt Regency Saipan. (Mark Rabago)

“I want to be successful but I also want our partners to be successful because, if they’re not successful, we won’t also be successful,” said Ayuyu, who added that McDonald’s owe these five companies big time, recalling the times when they’d call Herman’s Bakery to make extra buns, ask Matson to prioritize their cargo so they can unload their items literally an hour after the ship had docked, and how Coca-Cola partly built its plant on Middle Road to accommodate McDonald’s standards.

Ayuyu said it wasn’t all a bed of roses the past 25 years.

“It’s been a very long journey for me and my wife since we opened McDonald’s Saipan 25 years ago. The journey has been bumpy over the years. But if you don’t go through those bumps, you wouldn’t know how to get better,” he said.

Ayuyu is appreciative of what McDonald’s Saipan has meant to his family and has no regrets.

“We were able to raise a family and send our kids to school [because of McDonald’s]. My expectations were not to become rich but just to make enough money to be able to support my family so I can give my children an education that was a lot better than what I had,” said Ayuyu, who is the first in his family to graduate from college.

Ayuyu’s wife, Marcia, who is also the company’s owner/operator, said this milestone is something she would cherish.

“Twenty-five years ago I was taking care of a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old. Now, I look back and the 4-year-old and a 2-year-old are now working in the family business,” said Marcia, who has another daughter, Ashley, working in Guam.

Aside from honoring partners, McDonald’s Saipan also gave $3,000 to the Salvation Army as part of its 25th anniversary donation.

A surprised Pastor Wayne Gillespie thanked the Ayuyu family for the kind gesture and said it would go a long way in keeping its pantries stocked.

American Red Cross-NMI Chapter executive director John Hirsh and Northern Marianas Athletics president Ramon Tebuteb also paid tribute to McDonald’s Saipan for the support they’ve given to their groups.

Hirsh said McDonald’s Saipan has been an invaluable partner, not only in the local Red Cross chapter’s yearly signature walkathon fundraiser, but also has helped in its fire prevention campaigns and in the aftermath of Typhoon Soudelor in 2015.

Tebuteb said the company has unofficially sponsored the track and field association’s all-schools championship since 2002. He recalled that McDonald’s Saipan has been in the group’s consciousness since 1993, the year when it opened, when their volunteers who just survived a boat capsizing immediately asked to be treated to McDonald’s soon after their rescue.