{"id":326817,"date":"2020-07-22T06:02:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T20:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=326817"},"modified":"2020-07-22T06:02:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-21T20:02:00","slug":"bubba-gump-reopens-refocuses-on-local-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/bubba-gump-reopens-refocuses-on-local-market\/","title":{"rendered":"Bubba Gump reopens, refocuses on local market"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. has health and safety protocols in place to keep employees and customers safe while dining. (BEA CABRERA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of a few American restaurant chains on Saipan reopened its doors yesterday after a three-month hiatus due to COVID-19 concerns.<\/p>\n

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant\u2019s reopening comes with a new and more affordable menu and services that hope to entice the local market and make their experience worthwhile.<\/p>\n

Robert H. Jones, chairman and CEO of Triple J Enterprises, Inc., said in a news briefing yesterday that Bubba Gump\u2019s reopening entails many new changes. \u201cPeople used to say that Bubba Gump was expensive and I say it might have been in the past but we are not, in the future. We are designing our menus and prices based on local consumption rather than tourists,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Triple J Enterprises is the local franchisee of Bubba Gump in the Marianas.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026We have had really a robust economy the last few years\u2026and it has been tough the last few months. \u2026But we want to make a statement today that we want to put prices based on what the income is on the island. Our goal and hope is to be able to get a lot of locals to join us, enjoy the new prices, and experience the new improvements as we want to do a good job for you,\u201d Jones added.<\/p>\n

The new prices and experience begin with their lunch specials, available from 11am to 4pm. There are six choices available for only $9.95\u2014Shrimpin\u2019 Dippin\u2019 Broth featuring shrimps in a spicy broth, Mama\u2019s Southern Fried Chicken, half-pound All-American Cheese Burger & Fries, Captain\u2019s Fish and Chips, Shrimp Caesar Salad, plus a new addition in local favorite Tinaka Katne served with homemade finadene and chicken kilaguen.<\/p>\n

Dinner specials are available from 4pm to 9pm with six dishes to choose from for only $14.95. This includes Dixie-Style Baby Back Ribs, Chinese Chicken Salad for a healthy option, pasta dish \u201c\u2026Of Course We Have Scampi!,\u201d Mama\u2019s Southern Fried Chicken, Shrimp New Orleans, and Forrest Seafood Feast.<\/p>\n

Iced tea, coffee, and fountain drinks are available for only $1.95.<\/p>\n

Family platters are available that can be shared by four people, ranging in price from $40 to only $35.<\/p>\n

The safety of families in the community are paramount, so the restaurant also offers curbside service and pick-up. \u201cThe new trend now is not dine-in but drive-thru, take-away, and pick-up services and this is something that is in the [United] States now\u2026and we have it here as well. \u2026Just give us 15 to 20 minutes to prepare and we will serve it straight to your car,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
From left,\u00a0Perry Inos, Triple J Saipan, Inc. business manager; Maria Valentina Haberman, Triple J Saipan, Inc. marketing manager; Ringo Medina,\u00a0Bubba Gump general manager; Robert H. Jones, chairman and CEO of Triple J Enterprises, Inc.; Benjamin Babauta, Bubba Gump executive chef; Mike Sablan, Triple J Saipan Inc. VP Finance & Administration;\u00a0and Frank Ada, Triple J HR director. (BEA CARERA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite the occupancy restrictions, Bubba Gump can accommodate 120 people indoors and 36 people in the patio located in front of the restaurant, said general manager Ringo Medina. \u201cWe have received a number of reservations already even if we have just reopened today and we are happy about that\u2026 [My staff and I] are energized and excited to be working again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not serving breakfast like before but maybe we will reconsider once we get feedback or when the tourists come in again. \u2026Right now, our focus is the community and to help them in this time of crisis,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Benjamin Babauta, who is a chef at the restaurant, said that they have been busy trying to come up with special dishes and getting the restaurant ready for reopening. \u201cWe were really busy cleaning up, sanitizing, and washing up everything. We\u2019re taking extra protocols like temperature-taking as you enter, we put up guards in between tables, and inside the restaurant is a pathway that leads customers one way in and out. We are excited to deliver good food while staying safe as much as possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

According to Jones, Triple J closed two of its other restaurants\u2014Tony Roma\u2019s and Caprissiosa. \u201cOne of the reasons why we closed is it was convenient as our lease expired, and we could not justify renegotiating our long-term lease at the moment. Not knowing what is going to happen in the next year or so, we feel optimistic that we will come back as strong as we did in the past,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thank the community for the support all these years as we have always had a lot of local people in the Surf Club, Tony Roma\u2019s, and Caprissiosa, but we never had many locals as we would like to have in Bubba Gump. We hope the new menus and pricing will entice local people to eat more and dine more at Bubba Gump,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant is open from Monday to Sunday. For more information, call (670) 233-8592.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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