Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Ernst.
Hi Claire, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up with a mother who loved crepes and a father who loved my mother. Every special occasion we would celebrate by making mom crepes in bed. We would all pile in bed with her and enjoy the deliciousness. When I moved out crepes became a tradition I took with me. I would make them for my friends and family, special events, and friends’ vacation. They were scrumptious and sentimental. A few years ago my husband and I opened up our home to international students from Europe. They quickly let me know their favorite after school snack was crepes. They each taught me their own take on how to make the perfect crepe. A few years later an opportunity presented itself and friends encouraged me to take the plunge and open a crepe shop. I am a nurse and love my profession. I had zero business experience and had never ever worked in the food industry but I knew I loved crepes, was willing to work hard and bet on myself. So Claire’s Creperie was born… a conglomerate of tradition, fond memories, sentiment, culture, and pure deliciousness. My goal was to spread my love of crepes while also cultivating a strong bond with my community and customers. It has been such a wild and fun ride meeting so many new friends through my little shop. I love hearing people’s stories. I have also been able to start a Crepes for a Cause program which has linked me to many amazing people making a huge difference in our community. This year has been a crazy year as a nurse and a small business owner but all the sweet new friends I made through the small business community, my amazing customers, and town have just blown me out of the water with their love and support.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Haha, smooth ride? Does that happen for people?? But for real, no one goes to a theme park for a smooth ride!! Life is all about the roller coaster, the highs and lows teach us who we are. Working as a nurse in a cardiovascular ICU I get to see people who come close to death constantly. My patients are so sick and many of them talk with me about their wins, dreams, regrets, and losses. I am constantly reminded that life is short and we just have to go for it. So I literally just went for it. Even though the odds weren’t really in my favor. I have zero business or food industry experience, just a love of crepes. That proved to be a big obstacle but I have learned along the way and it has been such an amazing ride. Covid has obviously been an obstacle. We were open for about 6 months before Covid hit. I had gone part time as a nurse when I opened the crepe shop but when Covid hit I was assigned to be on a Covid team. Life changed overnight as I helped people battle for their lives when we had literally no idea what we were fighting. It was a constant reminder to not take anything for granted and to never wait to chase our dreams. I have an amazing team and to keep everyone employed during Covid we transitioned (pivoooot) to teaching virtual crepe classes online during part of the pandemic. This was one more way to share our love of crepes and also meet so many new people and teach them how to create delicious crepes. Struggles are part of the story but they also show us what we are capable of!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the owner of Claire’s Creperie. A small crepe shop that specializes in all thing’s crepes. I love dreaming up new crepe flavors. We serve sweet, savory, and breakfast. I love putting a fun spin on our crepes. We have a delicious favorite crepe that has pimento cheese- a southern favorite! We love taking suggestions from our patrons. They suggest some flavors and if we choose theirs we name it in their honor. I absolutely love partnering with other locals. We source from local farms as often as possible (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, goat cheese… and more). We also love collaborating with other local shops using things like balsamic from the local olive oil company and coffee roasted locally. I love supporting other small businesses. I also love our Crepes for a Cause program. I love partnering with local community causes that are making a huge impact in the lives of so many. There are a million little things that make our little crepe shop so much more than a business and that makes me super proud of what we have been able to create. And although my name is on the sign there are so many people who have helped create the creperie!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The food industry took a huge hit in the last year. I love eating new food, discovering new flavors, and traveling to new places. Food is a language and culture all on its own and I am hoping that the food industry thrives. I’m hopeful that people continue to shift back to local eats and invest in their favorite eateries. We are a part of a marketplace collaborative and I love this style that is becoming so popular. I love having many different flavors all in one place. It brings so much flare and variety! I also love what social media has done for our industry. One of my host sons said to me “make sure you create pretty food because people eat with their phones first.” I’m excited to be a part of creating something beautiful and tasty!!
Pricing:
- $8-$10 per crepe
- $15 for virtual crepe cooking classes
Contact Info:
- Email: Clairescreperie@gmail.com
- Website: https://claires-creperie.business.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairescreperie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clairescreperie/
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC6uTMhQ6ZjWa_MFMcBrlrgw
- Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g34461-d21268429-Reviews-Claire_s_Creperie-Mount_Dora_Lake_County_Florida.html
Image Credits
Brenda Anderson Photography
