Juan Pan moves to Rota, opens general store

SONGSONG, Rota—Juan Pan Guerrero has followed the bread crumbs to Rota where he has opened a general store in Songsong.

The former lawmaker and former president of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce said he and his wife opened Island A-Heart Retail three months ago so the people of Rota can finally have items that previously were only available during shopping trips to Saipan.

“There’s a lot of challenges and things to do. We hit a few snags along the way. I’m hoping that we can influence some of the changes that are good for the people and the community. Here, they really need a lot of help as the prices of goods are two to three times higher than Saipan or Guam. On Saipan we take a lot of things for granted that we have all the stores. Here, you want to buy some stuff, it’s not available or you need to wait for weeks to see them back on the shelves,” he said.

Case in point was when a military personnel visited the island and forgot to pack underwear.

“Tommy Mendiola was making a joke when this military guy from Guam came over. They were at the Rota Mayor’s Office and the guy forgot to bring underwear. So the guy says, ‘Where can I buy underwear?’ ‘We don’t wear underwear,’ Tommy said jokingly, suggesting that nobody on Rota actually wears underwear,” said Guerrero.

Island A-Heart Retail is located in Songsong Village across Puesto Grill on Rota. (MARK RABAGO)

Fortunately, with the entry of Island A-Heart, military personnel—or any tourist for that matter who forgot to bring their tighty whities—can be assured that they can buy underwear on Rota, as Guerrero’s store has a large clothing selection for men, women, and children on island.

As the former president and general manager of Herman’s Modern Bakery, Guerrero is confident he can meet the retail needs of the people of Rota.

“It’s very challenging because it’s a very small community but this is where you use your skills. And of course I’ve been doing business for many years. So, we ask customers what they want. Yesterday we had a customer who needed blueberries. So, I called Saipan and asked if they could include those in our shipment and the blueberries came. We sell a number of items that normally you don’t find on Rota.”

Island A-Heart Retail co-owner Juan Pan Guerrero poses with his son, Andre Heart. (MARK RABAGO)

As for the name of the store, Guerrero said Island A-Heart is named after his son, Andre Heart Guerrero, and the building where it stands used to be owned by the Taimanao family and was the biggest grocery store on Rota.

Aside from doing business in a small market, Guerrero said his biggest adjustment moving to Rota has been missing friends and family on Saipan.

“I don’t see my [grandchildren] as much but fortunately we have a chat group and I can reach out to my grandkids on a daily basis.”

On the side, Guerrero and his construction company have been helping with the renovation of the Valentino Hotel and other work to bring buildings up to standard and in compliance.

“What made us stay on Rota and open this store is that helping people is key. …Providing them goods and services is also a matter of importance for us. Seeing young toddlers with their parents touching and crying because they want a particular toy, I really feel for that. I can say proudly that we have the largest shoe selection on island and also we represent Herman’s Modern Bakery,” said Guerrero.

In his advice to future entrepreneurs on Rota, Guerrero said you have to be extraordinarily committed to your business.

“Especially on Rota you have to be hands-on. You can’t just hire a manager. You have to be committed. You have to have a vision on what you want to sell. It’s trial-and-error here, full of ups and downs.”

He admits, though, that not all the items they’ve bought since opening Island A-Heart have been hits and sold, but Guerrero has a nifty trick to still make them useful.

“I can donate to the church, the schools, and I can also donate to the Medical Referrals because here it’s not enough to just sell tickets. We always try to participate in our own way, big or small,” he said.

Island A-Heart Retail is located in Songsong Village across Puesto Grill on Rota. For more information, call (670) 483-6277 or go to Islands A-Heart’s Facebook page.