Coffee & Bread: Tinian’s one and only bakery

It defies belief but Tinian has had no bakery until April this year. It took an X-ray technician to finally open one.

Edwin Sta. Therese, who works at the Tinian Health Center, opened Coffee & Bread on Tinian last April 29 and he said it was borne out of need—both the island and himself.

In mulling over the many prospective businesses that he could pursue on Tinian, Sta. Therese came upon a startling fact: “I found out there is no bakery [on Tinian].”

He also heard that cakes that people order on Saipan “more often than not don’t survive the trip across the channel and come here falling apart.”

In a sense, Coffee & Bread is just your regular neighborhood bakery. But it is so much more than just that. In fact, the whole neighborhood that Sta. Therese and his two full-time bakers serve is the entire island of Tinian.

The only experience Sta. Therese has in running a bakery was when he worked as a helper in a one when he was just 13 years old but it has been so far so good for Coffee & Bread.

“Currently we serve breakfast with hot coffee and baked pastries. We also supply burger buns, hotdog buns, and some bread to stores and restaurants. …The community has been very supportive since the start.

“It probably helps that Coffee & Bread is the only bakery on the island,” he added.

Coffee & Bread’s bestsellers have been its hot pandesal, donuts, ensaymada, and braso de Mercedes.

Fortunately for Sta. Therese, the new venture hasn’t been affected that much by the economic slowdown and subsequent government austerity measures.

“A bakery is a necessity and everyone needs to eat bread,” he said.

Aside from meeting the island’s bakery needs, Sta. Therese said he also gets fulfilment in knowing that he is able to provide jobs to the people of Tinian.

For now, Coffee & Bread is only open from 5:30am to 10am, but its operating hours are expected to lengthen with the hiring of two more bakers. Sta. Therese said both bakers are expected to be on island in a couple of months.

Coffee & Bread is also open for corporate meetings with projectors, white board, and public address systems available upon request.

Coffee & Bread is on the ground floor of the Sai Plaza Building, Broadway Road corner Canal Street. For more information and orders, call (670) 433-6666 or click on their Facebook page “Coffee and Bread.”