Four griddles and a dream: Full of Crepe finds its sweet spot in St. Joe

Editor’s Note: This story is part of Momentum: The people and companies shaping what’s next, a weekly series that explores new ventures, founder support, and the resources powering entrepreneurship and small businesses across seven counties in Southwest Michigan. This project is sponsored by Southwest Michigan First. All photos are taken by Mike Wenninger unless noted.

ST. JOSEPH, MI — Downtown St. Joseph has three blocks on State Street where you can shop till you drop, enjoy burgers or fine dining, and people-watch till your eyes ache.  But until recently, you couldn’t buy a crepe.  Now you can — at Full of Crepe, 315 State St.

The restaurant was opened last June by Aaron and Amy Hake. 

“I just thought a creperie would be a great fit for St. Joe,” says Aaron. “The closest one I’ve found is in Grand Rapids.  I’ve lived here my whole life; I saw our downtown, and I saw the other towns where they have creperies, and I just thought it would be a good fit.”

The Hakes’ hunch proved to be a good one.  “We had a really good first summer, good feedback, good reviews,” Aaron says. “We added another crepe machine because we couldn’t keep up all the time, so we went from three to four. 

“Working with the city was good.  I think they saw what I saw as a good addition to town, so everybody was really helpful.”

The restaurant keeps its service uncomplicated.  “We don’t have 40 crepes on the menu,” Aaron says.  “We do 11 flavors really well.”  

There are six savory crepes and five sweet ones.  The savory ones include the Classic: ham or turkey, cheddar or mozzarella, spinach, and tomato.  Sweet crepes include Berries ‘n’ Cream: Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, blackberry cream cheese filling, and powdered sugar.

Hake notes, “We almost always have a daily special going on, something off menu. We’ve done everything from a barbecued pulled pork crepe to a crab rangoon crepe. We’ve done crème brule, barbecued chicken — I mean, if you can imagine it, you can put it in a crepe because they’re just  a blank canvas and they really take well to almost anything.”

All crepes can be made gluten-free. 

Full of Crepe is mostly a family business.  The Hakes have three daughters, ages 22, 20, and 12, who help.  During the busiest season, the restaurant employs high school students, using about 12 of them during the summer.

The Hakes’ entrepreneurial venture is almost all self-financed.  Amy Hake is a Bear Team paraprofessional with St. Joseph Public Schools, and Aaron still works as a bartender, a job he knows well from having worked many years in the restaurant business.

“I’ve been putting money away for a while, and almost all of it for this creperie came out of our pocket,” Aaron says.  “Getting close to the opening, I thought, ‘It’s getting tight,’ so I did go to a credit union, and I took out a small personal loan.  I just kinda’ had that money stashed away in case, and we used some of it for the espresso machine.”

He points to a large, shiny metal appliance sitting on a kitchen counter; it has lots of push-buttons, handles, tubes, and a gauge.  It comes from Italy.

“They cost about as much as a small car, so we waited until the timing was right and I could find the one I wanted,” Aaron says.  “It’s a really nice machine.  People want lattes and cappuccinos, especially during the summer.  I can’t tell you how many times somebody asked for an iced coffee, so we’re going to be doing that this year.”

Full of Crepe is a member of St. Joseph Today, which markets the community and plans events that attract people to the St. Joseph area.  Aaron is aware of, but hasn’t yet used, the services of organizations such as Cornerstone Alliance, which promotes business and community growth in Berrien County.

Cornerstone’s managing director of entrepreneurial services, Brandy Jaquez, says, “We are able to assist from startup to growth. We offer one-on-one business counseling with experienced entrepreneurs to help founders dig into their specific needs. We also provide programming based on the top needs of the entrepreneur. We have a full-day intensive course for marketing strategy; we believe the dedicated time will help them build a strategic plan for their marketing.”

Aaron Hake says, “I want to work with as many groups as I can because they’re all trying to help each other and grow the community.”