By: Nicole Babauta
Center Director/Certified Small Business Business Adviser
CNMI SBDC
Jay Wolfe and Elina Gharti Chhetri are the owners and
operators of Marianas Creations. Their busines is a local origin cafe, bar,
and shop with the focus on providing only locally sourced products to
customers. Jay and Elina both have a creative side and previously expressed
that through art, food, and drink.
It seemed natural to combine their passions
and realized Saipan needed an outlet for artists to present their products and
art to the public, so they wanted to fill that market need. For the owners of
Marianas Creations, art includes any product that an artisan makes with their
hands, so they offer have traditional art products like paintings, carvings,
jewelry, etc., but also things like snacks, books, and more.
Elina has been
involved in the food and hospitality world almost her whole life and was a
co-founder of Everest Kitchen, a popular Nepalese restaurant on Saipan.
Additionally, Elina is a decorated local artist. Jay had a previous career in
management with the federal government and has also founded several small
businesses including Saipan Brewing Company. Jay and Elina shares, “Startup
means a lot of work and a lot of time doing administrative work such as
permitting. Plan on it taking longer than you think. We tried to stay positive
and focus on reaching our goal, rather than worry about the setbacks. For our
start-up, we built all of our furnishings from pallet wood. This took time but
was ultimately more rewarding and sustainable than purchasing pre-fab tables
and chairs.
Additionally, the demolition and reconstruction as an art cafe was
challenging, and made more so because we did the majority ourselves with our
friends. The permitting process was also challenging, but most government
agencies worked with us and assisted us with our applications and
requirements.”
When asked what their most triumphant moment was Jay and Elina
shares, “Our most memorable triumph was opening our doors and having such a
positive response from our customers. It makes all the hard work worth it.” A
short-term goal of Marianas Creations is to increase their market presence
amongst the Saipan tourist.
A long-term goal of the business is to increase the
number of local producers by offering a location where they can consistently
sell their products. The CNMI SBDC assisted in the startup phase of the business.
The owners met with CNMI SBDC to discuss our ideas and options as well as
guidance of funding ideas, business plan development, and more. Jay and Elina
shares the following advise for those looking to start their business, “Work
hard on their business plans, to consider multiple contingencies, to spend
extra time thinking about your marketing strategies in a unique market like
Saipan, and of course, to go speak to SBDC.”
Marianas Creations is open Monday to Sunday from 6:30 A.M. to
9:30 P.M. in Garapan on Micro Beach Road right next to Everest Kitchen. For
more information, call (670) 783-1924.
