BY: Nicole Babauta
Center Director/Certified Small Business Adviser
CNMI SBDC
Beans & Bags Coffee & Tea opened its doors in
April 2019 in the village of Kagman, Saipan. The business is family owned and
operated by Mr. & Mrs. Dennis and Lynette Villagomez and family. The family
decided they wanted to reinvest their savings and create a safe haven of
bringing the people of the Kagman community together. Beans & Bags Coffee
& Tea also believes in the conservation and preservation of natural
resources and the protection of “Mother Earth” and promotes an eco-friendly
environment and practices to its daily operations.
When asked, “Why
did you decide to start your business?” Mrs. Villagomez shares, “Our family
decided to open the coffee shop in Kagman to provide the community with more
options to purchase food and drinks in the Kagman area. Additionally, we wanted
to provide a venue that offered free WiFi to community members who don’t have
internet access at home, but most especially to our students from Kagman
Elementary, ChaCha Oceanview Middle School and Kagman High School.”
Mrs. Villagomez
shares that the start-up process was not as hard as they thought it would be.
In fact, it brought the family closer together as they worked as a team to
accomplish various tasks on the checklist.
The CNMI SBDC assisted the Villagomez Family by
providing guidance and support throughout the planning and soft opening of
their business. Mrs. Villagomez shares the following advice for those looking
to start their business, “Dreams of starting a business will always be a dream
until you take the first step and put in writing.”
Beans & Bags Coffee & Tea is opened from
Monday to Saturday from 6:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. in Kagman. For more information,
call (670) 235-BEAN (2326).
