But what would probably most surprise you is that this “café” has an entire bar selection behind the counter.

This not so typical café also happens to be not your average bar either and that’s because Guma’ Tåsa combines the best of both worlds to bring their customers an unforgettable experience each time they decide to grab a quick bite or have a round.

Starting back in 2013, Guma’ Tåsa was founded by Denise Mendiola as a business idea with her father. She liked the combination of a café and bar, and she liked latte stones. This led to the birth of Guma’ Tåsa, which literally translates to “house of cups.” The latte stone theme can be noticed as part of the architecture in the café. Mendiola’s passion for her business venture is to keep it Chamoru and to keep it local. Those beliefs transcend into the popular menu items they have to offer.

They order their produce from Grow Guam, which they incorporate into the popular paninis, wraps, and smoothies they serve daily. Mendiola takes pride in knowing, as a local businesswomen herself, that she supports other local businesses as well.

The popular menu items include their turkey spinach wrap and teriyaki mushroom panini. These are paired with flavored beverages, including coffee specialties such as the Kaduku Mocha and Caramel Haze. The one thing that keeps customers in line and hungry for more is Guma’ Tåsa’s famous garlic dressing, which is served with almost all their sandwiches, wraps, and salads.

“I’ve never tried anything like it anywhere else on Guam,” says Aubreeana Taylor, a senior at the University of Guam and a customer of Guma’ Tåsa.

“Anything I order, I have a side of their garlic sauce.”

Guma’ Tåsa also offers a 10% student discount to UOG students and students from the Guam Community College.

Mendiola says they cater their menu to offer budget-style food that is also healthy and provides energy. She understands the struggles many college students face financially and hopes to ease the burden by providing a menu that fills their stomachs without emptying their wallets.

She also offers her café as an environment for any college student to spend the day. Guma’ Tåsa’s space is large enough to serve as meeting places for group projects and there is also free wifi for their customers. In fact, customers can spend the whole day there and get exactly what they need from breakfast to lunch and snacks in between.

Well into the night, you can still find Guma’ Tåsa lit up and hear music flowing out their doors. That’s because they also offer nightly entertainment throughout the week.

Andrea Grajek, barista and marketing personnel, mentioned that they are restarting their open-mic Mondays, which had been definitely a crowd drawer previously.

You will also find different bands playing during different days between Wednesday to Friday, including R & R, G Strings Aloud, and The Vetones.

So whether you are looking to do homework or looking to relax after a day of working, Guma’ Tåsa can provide exactly what you need. Check them out daily or nightly in Legacy Square, Mangilao, behind Kentucky Fried Chicken.

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Viernes often hung around UOG’s English and Communication building, which eventually piqued his interest at pursuing an English degree. He enrolled in English classes and eventually decided to major in English with an emphasis in literature.

Viernes said that it was around that time when UOG professors started to introduce him to the idea that the Pacific was a place that was ripe for studying.

In 2003, Viernes graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in literature. Viernes recalls that time telling himself that he never wanted to attend school again.

After college, he held several jobs, but none of them really stuck with him until he came back to the university to work on a three-year grant. From this work, he realized that graduate school may actually be a possibility for him.

Viernes applied for a fellowship at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and was granted the award. This allowed him to pursue a master’s degree. He chose Pacific Island Studies as his field.

His MA thesis entitled “Fanhasso’ I taotao Sumay: Displacement, Dispossession and Survival in Guam,” which argued that the U.S. military on the removed the people of Sumay village so that it could build the present day naval station. Viernes eventually published his thesis into a book in 2013, which he aptly named “Sumay: Rikuetdo Para I Famagu’on-ta”.

After receiving his master’s degree in Pacific Island Studies, Viernes decided to pursue a Ph.D. at UH Manoa. He was awarded another fellowship to do so. His dissertation examined gender and masculinity among Chamoru men in the pre-war period. Viernes explored the issues of masculinity and manhood within Chamoru men. He was particularly interested in determining what makes a Chamoru man and whether it depends on being Chamoru or being colonized.

Viernes finished his dissertation in 2015 and received his Ph.D. in “History With an Emphasis in Pacific Island History”.

Viernes is now an adjunct faculty member at the University of Guam, teaching courses such as History of Guam and Pacific literature. His decision to come back to Guam and teach was driven by his desire to want to help other aspiring college students to realize that there are more options in life than just joining the military or moving off-island.

Viernes plans to continue teaching, researching and publishing.

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