The cafe is set to open by Fourth of July weekend and will replace Gigi’s Cupcakes, which closed its doors in November 2014 due to low sales traffic. But Chris Kieffer, director of marketing for Ram Realty Services, which oversees the 140 West complex where Gigi’s was located, expects Crepe Culture to be highly attractive to customers.
“From what I’ve seen and heard, they’ve got a fantastic product,” Kieffer said. “140 West is particularly attractive to boutique restaurants and stores, so Crepe Culture really is an ideal tenant for a property like that. They’re different, but I think they’ll fit in well there.”
Kieffer said that since students make up a solid portion of the complex’s clientele, it is important for the cafe to appeal to the student lifestyle.
“The cafe is really based on the deli concept,” Kieffer said. “Students can come in and sit down, or they can grab a crepe and go.”
Crepe Culture co-owner Sree Valluru said he set his sights on Franklin Street right away when he started plans to open the restaurant.
“I’ve been in this area for a while, and I’m a big fan of UNC basketball,” Valluru said. “Franklin Street is the heart of the town. I knew that whatever I wanted to do, I wanted to do there.”
Valluru said the family-owned business will serve a variety of savory and dessert crepes, as well as high-quality Manhattan Broadway-style coffee.
“Why not crepes?” Valluru said. “If you look at the whole street, people like burritos and wraps. A crepe is not really a burrito, but it’s a similar dish. It can be made however you like it.”
