Saipan’s latest catch: Bubba Gump Shrimp

Triple J founder, president, and chief executive officer Robert H. Jones, fourth right, and CNMI Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, sixth left, lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant in Garapan yesterday. (Jon Perez)

Saipan became the latest addition to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. family with the seafood restaurant franchise opening its doors starting today. It will be the 44th location of the Landry’s Restaurants-owned company.

Locals and tourists alike can now enjoy the taste of some of the best shrimp dishes and other mouthwatering seafood treats of the Triple J-owned franchise restaurant.

Bubba Gump vice president and chief operations officer Jim Dufault were among those from the corporate office in Houston, Texas who attended yesterday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly constructed building across I Love Saipan in Garapan. Triple J founder, president, and chief executive officer Robert H. Jones led officials from their company.

Dufault said that Bubba Gump is now seen in various locations around the world since its inception in 1996. The seafood restaurant chain was inspired by the 1994 movie Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks.

“We’re located in so many locations around the world. And we’re going to promise to bring that same energy and enthusiasm with our Saipan staff and serve great food,” said Dufault.

It was a veritable mix of the who’s who in the community with former and incumbent government officials and prominent business people among the first to taste Bubba Gump’s specials. Palau President Tommy Remengasau was also present yesterday.

Triple J invited 200 people with more than half attending yesterday’s opening.

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and First Lady Diann Torres, Reps. Angel Demapan (R-Saipan). Joseph Leepan Guerrero (R-Saipan), Edwin K. Propst (Ind-Saipan), and Edmund Villagomez (Ind-Saipan), former governor Ben Fitial and wife Josie Fitial, CNMI Superior Court Associate judges Kenneth Govendo and Teresa K. Kim-Tenorio, and former Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio were among those spotted mingling with other community leaders.

The first Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant opened in Monterey, California in 1996 and since then 28 other locations sprouted in the United States. The company then branched out in other countries like the Philippines, Mexico, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom.

The restaurant chain is named after fictional characters Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue and Forrest Gump, who met and became friends when they joined the U.S. Army in the height of the Vietnam War.

Bubba, in the film, told Forrest that he plans to buy a boat to enter the shrimping business after their tour of duty in Vietnam. He, however, died with Forrest pursuing the idea after the war.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is a welcome addition to Saipan’s already crowding restaurant industry. In the famous words of Bubba: “Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, sautee, bake it.” Enjoy the shrimp overload.