We talked to: Jean-Luc and Evelyn of Suzette Crêperie & Café

We had an inspiring chat with the owners of Suzette Crêperie & Café, Jean-Luc Wittner and Evelyn Darling. They will make an excellent addition to L1 in Thornes!

Hi, Jean-Luc and Evelyn! Could you please tell us a bit about yourself, your business, and why you chose Northampton as a second location for Suzette Crêperie & Café?

I have to be honest, we didn’t choose Thornes or the city—they chose us! We were not looking to open a second location, as we already have one established in Worcester. Then, when Thornes approached us in a very nice way, we decided to check out the space and the area. If nothing else, we thought we’d get to visit Northampton, walk around, and have a nice meal. We did not expect to fall in love at first sight; it immediately felt right to us, from Thornes to the downtown to the surroundings.

We did some studying and really considered how we could make it work, given that I’m already working long hours with one location. That said, we felt like it could be feasible given how small we are—it’s just a matter of careful planning and organizing. We are thrilled to be here and are very close to opening. We don’t have a firm date yet, due to a freezer issue, but we hope that will be resolved quickly and we can open soon after Thanksgiving.

We’ll give you a little background of Suzette Creperie itself. I had always felt like I wanted to open a business, and felt confident about my skills in operations, but not as much about how to actually make it happen. My wife Evelyn, on the other hand, had always wanted to do something like this and is excellent at executing a plan and making things happen. I know how to cook, she is an expert at paperwork.

When I came to the US thirteen years ago, I worked in restaurants as a server, handled banquets, and worked in a coffee shop. I just wasn’t sure what I wanted to do ultimately, but I felt certain it would be in the food service industry. I really had to learn how Americans eat, as it’s quite different from the French. Also, I knew I did not want a full-service restaurant; instead, I envisioned something more on the fast-casual side, with a grab-and-go element that fits with the current time period. Immediately when I thought of that concept, my mind went to crepes, as they are an on-the-go favorite in France. As a business school graduate and a self-taught chef, I started out with some serious testing, studying, and financial projections.

We ended up opening in Worcester in the middle of the pandemic, which was really terrifying—we’d put our savings into it and had no idea what would happen. We just started to work really hard on our marketing and products, which included macarons and Julia Child-inspired, pre-made meals to go, along with our crepes. We wanted to offer staples—such as Beef Bourguignon—that people would love and could be refrigerated or frozen to eat immediately or at another time.

We are also offering gluten-free, celiac-safe items. The crepes can be made gluten-free, and macarons are naturally gluten-free. We also make the crepes to order in front of our customers, so they can feel safe knowing we are taking precautions against cross-contamination. We are also happy to offer both vegetarian and vegan options, as we know there is a real demand nowadays.

What are some exciting things about the business we can look forward to?

I am a creative person, and I always have something in my head! I started out with 250 recipes and whittled them down to 40; I’m focusing on what makes sense within the smaller new space. Quality is of the utmost importance to us, so I don’t want to add too many new items and sacrifice that.

Currently in Worcester, we are the best-rated restaurant on Google and our goal is to keep that momentum going here in Northampton. In time, we may offer delivery via DoorDash and Uber, but we want to take things one step at a time and see what works here. We’ll be serving crepes three different ways: on a plate so people can sit in the common spaces in Thornes (on all three floors), in to-go containers, and grab-and-go/street food style, which involves using a cone as a vessel for the crepe to fold into.

What’s your favorite thing about Northampton thus far?

It’s really just a feeling—being here feels right, and we already sense the excitement of Thornes and downtown Northampton to welcome us. We have both been very impressed by the foot traffic and the vibrant downtown. It feels like a community in which a lot of things are happening. We’re community people, so this really resonates with us. We see that in Worcester as well, and we’re excited to have two communities. We’ve had to reorganize a bit so that I can be more fully present at this location, and I’m thankful to have my two sons working as chef de cuisine and general manager to help keep things running smoothly.

What is your current favorite crepe?

Our Meli Melo sweet crepe is our #1 seller in Worcester, which consists of fresh strawberries, bananas, Nutella, some toasted almonds, and whipped cream. We have a delicious smoked salmon one—The Viking, which has salmon, sour cream, avocado spread, horseradish cream, and spinach—that is popular on the weekends, along with a Fat Elvis crepe (bananas, peanut butter, bacon, and honey) and a simpler one that’s just called Elvis (bananas and peanut butter). We look forward to seeing what people in Northampton like to eat, and we may make adjustments to our menu at Thornes accordingly.