Creperie?

So I came on to ask your opinion on how well a takeaway creperie might go over in Louisville. I searched first and read the talk about blintzes -- similar idea. I'd love if a few of you would indulge me with quick answers to some of my questions.

How likely do you think it is that people would buy takeaway crepes (sweet and/or savory) on Bardstown Road?
Would you think they'd be more popular on weekends or weekdays? Breakfast, lunch or dinner?

My husband and I are a bit obsessed with crepes -- http://bit.ly/Wwfqm -- and have been toying with the idea for a couple of years. There may actually be an opportunity now, but I just don't know how well they'd really go over. Although if St Louis can have FIVE creperies, couldn't Louisville support one?

My wife and I love crepes and have wished that Louisville had a creperie since we moved here. Unfortunately we don't live very close to Bardstown road but I'm sure we would still visit. I'm not quite sure why you're talking about a takeaway business only. In my opinion crepes are much better when they're freshly made (the entire a item, not the crepe itself). I feel once a set around the crepe absorbs the filling in changes flavor and texture affecting the overall experience.

That being said, I would think lunch and dinner would be a much bigger business during the week and breakfast would be on weekends. Hopefully, you'll be able to succeed in achieving your dream and that the business will do very well!

Thanks for the feedback. And (of course!) they would be made fresh one by one. It's only that the location is set up for takeaway, not for sitting down with a plate and fork. Think the crepe stands that you see in Paris -- no seats, just order your crepe and go. Granted we don't have the abundance of benches to sit and enjoy the crepe

There has been a creperie in Charleston, WV for the past 2 yrs (See link below). Charleston is hardly the bastion of culinary appreciation. Je crois que l'heure est arrivee a Louisville pour une Creperie!!
Bon courage.

http://www.cafecreperi.com/crepes/

We spent last weekend in the Central West End area of St. Louis (see my report in the travel section), an area similar in a lot of ways to the Highlands (urban/apartment/single family dwelling mix, close to downtown, restaurants, bars, eclectic mix of residents). I lived in that area during my law school days, and was pleasantly surpirsed to find a creperie had been added to the heart of the dining/bar/retail part of the CWE. http://www.crepesstl.com/ It was great, with inside and outside seating and a small selection of gelato as well. It seemed to be hopping all day, and stayed open until midnight (bars in STL close at 1AM) for those wanting a late night crepe.

A google search tells me there's another creperie in downtown STL. If it can boom there, it could here. Personally, I welcome the idea.

One of the things our family loved about Chamonix, France (and Paris) was the creperie! Almost all just a small window front operation with 4 or 5 crepe pans on small burners and refrig and storage for your ingredients. Louisville is ready for some hometown french street treats.

I have had those crepes in Paris, as a matter of fact right outside of Notre Dame!

If you are going to do takeaway from the onset, why not start with a cart as they do in Paris?
(sort of test the waters so to speak).

I think carts on Bardstown road should be the norm, i.e Crepes, soups, Sabrett hot dogs, fruit, especially on the weekends! Maybe we can start a trend!

I have had those crepes in Paris, as a matter of fact right outside of Notre Dame!

If you are going to do takeaway from the onset, why not start with a cart as they do in Paris?
(sort of test the waters so to speak).

I think carts on Bardstown road should be the norm, i.e Crepes, soups, Sabrett hot dogs, fruit, especially on the weekends! Maybe we can start a trend!

Great idea, Heather! Something like this:

http://www.apollocarts.com/900.php

With all of the outdoor events in Louisville you could shuttle around easily and when the weather got nasty you could keep it parked in your garage for 10 minutes until the weather changed again.

Gelato Gilberto at Norton Commons does crepes.


http://www.gelatogilberto.com/cappuccino_4_007.htm


Crêpes Made from Kentucky milk and cage-free eggs, our crêpes are filled with Nutella, lemon and sugar, bananas and almonds, or even a decadent scoop of gelato! And don't forget the Crêpe Gilberto--strawberries steeped in brown sugar and served with sour cream.
Crêpe Crêpe filled with Gelato
$2.50 $3.95

[Robin Garr]

Dana, you may be too young to remember it, but there used to be a chain, The Magic Pan - I think its Louisville property was in Oxmoor Center - that specialized in crepes dishes. It seems oh, so '70s now.

In Paris you see lots of street corner crepes stands, and they are good, but I can't help notice that most of them congregate in the areas where there are a lot of American tourists looking for an authentic Parisian experience ...

Thanks for the feedback. And (of course!) they would be made fresh one by one. It's only that the location is set up for takeaway, not for sitting down with a plate and fork. Think the crepe stands that you see in Paris -- no seats, just order your crepe and go. Granted we don't have the abundance of benches to sit and enjoy the crepe

I actually started daydreaming about by many visits to them while reading your post. As you stated however they're normally located near places with an abundance of seating. Crepes are hardly like a taco that you can walk around eating. As far as the comments about a cart go, I personally don't think it's a good choice because if you want to build up a steady clientele they need to know where you will be and when you will be there. Yes it is the cheaper operation to start but it also gives the impression of being a cheaper operation, especially in the United States.

Thanks all, for the info and input.
Brad, we ate at the Crepes in the City when we were in St Louis -- we talked for a long time with the owner there. He started out as a coffee shop just selling crepes on the side, and now has a big restaurant with about five burners. He was doing booming business.

Robin, I don't remember the Magic Pan, but of course have come across it in all my reading.

I've definitely seen crepes in the touristy parts of Paris, but also in more off-the-beaten track areas. For here, of course I'd want to be as on the track as possible, which is why I think a Bardstown Rd location would be good. This would have to be a part time, outside of our day jobs thing, so it would have to do a ton of weekend business to be worth it.

I know they're not easy finger food like a taco, but when we did a party last year we served them in wax paper with heavy duty napkin, and people managed fine.You just couldn't do big heavy fillings like this.

I'm encouraged to hear everyone's interest. I'll keep you posted if we move ahead. The guy leasing the property is willing to do a 6-month trial lease, but I feel like we'd be going in now with too little time left in the pedestrian-friendly weather. It's easy to get caught up in what we'd call it and what it would look like, and how I'd Tweet the menu offerings each day and all the fun parts. I also need to look hard at numbers and the time investment.

Thanks for the feedback. And (of course!) they would be made fresh one by one. It's only that the location is set up for takeaway, not for sitting down with a plate and fork. Think the crepe stands that you see in Paris -- no seats, just order your crepe and go. Granted we don't have the abundance of benches to sit and enjoy the crepe

I'd be more than game! I went to a restaurant in San Francisco about 5 years ago called Ti Couz that served breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert crepes. Their versatility is amazing! I think that Bardstown Road would be a good place to put one (or St. Matthew's, I'm a bit biased...) You would probably get good traffic during the week but more on the weekends.

I've always thought a crepe stand would be a great addition to the Bardstown Road farmer's market. I'd be a frequent customer, and I don't think I'd be the only one. Best of luck.

Thanks Mike and Marie.
So we found that Cinci has a crepe restaurant downtown -- http://www.itsjustcrepes.com/. Now i *really* feel like Louisville should have a crepe place!