Crepes By Us
- Ideal for:
- satisfy every taste at a family breakfast, a quick stop between errands, or an unhurried brunch with friends.
- Accessibility:
- Free parking at Galería Paseos. Booster seats available for young children.
- Prices:
- Mallorca crepes start at $9.99 and entrées go up to the 12 oz churrasco at $32.99.
- Atmosphere:
- The space is welcoming, roomy, well lit and has tables for groups. The decor nods to Paris with classic typography, round lamps and an open crepe station as the focal point of the room.
From France to Puerto Rico and out to the world. Fifteen years ago, Isoel Sánchez fell in love with crepes, those thin French-origin pancakes made with flour, milk and eggs, filled however you like.
Sánchez went to Brittany, in western France, learned the craft and came back to build. He brought back the original crepe makers and built a crepe empire that this Friday opens its third location in San Juan.
Crepes By Us, a wholly Puerto Rican crepe chain, opens Friday, April 24, at Galería Paseos de Cupey, in San Juan. With this location, which seats 65 and represents an investment of around $300,000, the brand creates 22 jobs and completes its third restaurant, joining the original shop in Humacao and the second location in Caguas.
The restaurant blends original crepe recipes with Puerto Rican cuisine fusions, including sorullitos as an appetizer and tripleta crepes. The space is distinguished by prints with classic French typography, round pendant lamps and a crepe station visible from the entrance.
"I always had the vision of opening in San Juan. Now the biggest challenge is staying the course and having people in San Juan get to know all the work we've put in at Humacao and Caguas," says owner Isoel Sánchez in an interview with Platea.
A bet on local
This spot is not just about crepes. It is a bistro that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner: from scrambled egg crepes to French toast, fried pork with tostones and churrasco. With three locations, Crepes By Us is looking to invest in local agriculture.
"It's going to help us a lot to be able to buy in bulk. We can look for the best deal and also partner with some farmers, and also ask our suppliers, which we're already doing, for local product," the entrepreneur said.
Sánchez Santiago studied Law and Society (Social Sciences), never gastronomy. He learned crepes in France through a specialized course and spent years educating a market that confused his crepes with arepas, the corn flour staple of Colombian and Venezuelan cuisines.
Why build a chain in Puerto Rico? "The owner of Crepes By Us lives in Puerto Rico. (…) I do know what is happening on my island, I know the needs that exist. If I have to lower my profit margin to help employees and support my staff, I don't do it just for economic gain. I do it also because the people here live near me, they work here and they live like I do," he said.
What to order
If you're a meat lover: Eiffel Tower. Pastrami, chicken and steak with curly fries, covered in pesto sauce. It's the dish that has been on the menu for 15 years for good reason.
If you love Nutella: Crème de la Crème. Strawberry, banana, Nutella, almond and ice cream in a sweet crepe.
If you arrive hungry: Churrasco. It's enormous, tender and juicy. Grilled and topped with house chimichurri.
If you're looking for a light lunch: Grilled chicken breast. It's the lighter option, for anyone who wants the experience without the indulgence.
Tips for aspiring entrepreneurs
For Sánchez, 15 years in the industry come with a cost of entry: learning to fall and get back up. These are his tips for anyone who wants to open a business in Puerto Rico.
• Resilience first. Holding on through financial hardship is the skill that gets tested most. According to Sánchez, it's the ingredient nobody mentions but everyone needs.
• Think long term. Anyone looking for quick results in restaurants will get frustrated. For the entrepreneur, building a chain is a game of years, not months.
• Invest in kitchen flow. Large chains have spent millions figuring out how to organize a kitchen efficiently. Sánchez learned it on his own: an orderly system makes it possible to pay fewer employees better and reduces turnover.
• Educate your customer. In Humacao, according to Sánchez, many people didn't know what a crepe was at first. He didn't see that as an obstacle but as part of his job.
• Look for local suppliers. As you grow, you can buy in bulk and build real partnerships with farmers on the Island.
The future of Crepes By Us: From Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic and the world
This Paseos model, which features a kitchen integrated with the crepe station, co-working space and pastries to go, will be the template for the brand's future openings.
"Crepes By Us has the capacity to leave Puerto Rico and expand, because the American public and the public that has come to us (…) is something we will also be looking at in the Dominican Republic," he said.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
