Local group buys Cinnabon Guam franchise

Cinnabon Guam announced Oct. 2 it will join a local group that includes Subway Restaurants and Chili’s Grill & Bar among its business units.

(From left) Christopher “Panda” Eustaquio, general manager, Cinnabon Guam; Patrick Perez, director of operations, Marcos Fong, group CEO, Robert “Chuck” Williams, Roxanne Simpkins-Williams and Jor-El Williams. Photo courtesy of Cinnabon.

“The new ownership will mean greater access to resources, increasing the reach of Cinnabon products on the island,” according to an Oct. 2 release.

Cinnabon may expand under the new management team, and may also contribute to non-profits, the release hinted, mentioning “potential new product offerings and community engagement initiatives that reflect their commitment to the island’s well-being.”

Marcos Fong, group CEO, said “We are thrilled to bring Cinnabon Guam into our group of companies.”

“Our goal is to preserve the quality and consistency of the current menu while exploring opportunities to expand our product offerings in the future,” he said.

The current menu offers a variety of cinnamon rolls, and a variety of beverages.

Cinnabon first opened in July 2010 in the Micronesia Mall, according to Journal files, and currently has three stores in Guam at Agana Shopping Center, Micronesia Mall, and Guam Premier Outlets. The chain has about 20 employees.

Aside from Subway and Chili’s, Cinnabon joins a group that includes Foremost Foods Inc., Coca-Cola Beverage Co, Glimpses of Guam* and Good to Go. The group also does business in the Northern Mariana Islands, and elsewhere.

Cinnabon’s first bakery opened on Dec. 4, 1985, in the SeaTac Mall in Seattle, Wash. Focus Brands Inc. which has headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., owns Cinnabon as well as Auntie Anne’s.

Robert “Chuck” Williams and Roxanne Simpkins-Williams operate Pretzelmaker. Simpkins-Williams is also president of Guam Memorial Park Cemetery. mbj

*Glimpses Media/Glimpses of Guam publishes the Journal.

Panel reflects on 50 years since Operation New Life

Scholars, community leaders, veterans, and former refugees gathered at the Guam Museum Theater in Hagåtña on July 26, for a public forum marking the 50th anniversary of Operation New Life, a massive U.S. military-led evacuation effort that brought more than 110,000 Vietnamese refugees through Guam in 1975 following the fall of Saigon.