GLAMoms went back to East Lansing! For Crêpe Sake — Their menu is decadent. Their space is charming! And For Crêpe Sake is GLAMoms’ Small Business Saturday feature this week!
We recently met with Gina Mudrey, owner and she shares about this downtown East Lansing eatery!
For Crêpe Sake is located at 211 M.A.C. and it is walking distance from campus, shopping, parks and well…. They have crêpes, need we say more?
“If crêpes aren’t love, we don’t know what is.” Enjoy!
Tell us about For Crêpe Sake!
For Crêpe Sake originally opened in the Lansing City Market in 2014 before moving to downtown Lansing on Washington Square.
COVID brought the end of the downtown Lansing location in 2020 but we were excited to reopen with a revised menu and fresh environment in East Lansing in Spring 2021!
Favorite crêpe to prepare? Most frequently ordered crêpe? Patron favorite?
It’s hard to pick a favorite… The France (Nutella, fresh strawberries and bananas and whipped cream) is the best selling sweet crêpe and the Tuscan (chicken, caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, spinach, pesto with a balsamic glaze) is the best selling savory.
But honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of them. The savory crêpes with a small side of mixed greens provide a pretty hearty meal of their own. But don’t forget to try the waffles!
What’s your background? What inspired you to go into what you’re doing now?
My husband and I stumbled upon For Crêpe Sake when the original owners were looking to sell in 2018. It was a totally new idea, new business and new industry for us and provided us an opportunity to entrench ourselves in the local community.
We have an incredible manager that oversees For Crêpe Sake and our ‘sister store’ in Grand Rapids, Brown Butter Crêperie.
What do you love about having a business in the Greater Lansing area, Downtown East Lansing, specifically?
Owning a local business is a great way to build and support your local community. We view For Crêpe Sake as an investment in the community as (in our opinion), a small locally-owned restaurant beats a large national chain any day! B
eing in the heart of East Lansing, where I grew up and we now live, is energizing. There is a lot of growth and development happening in downtown East Lansing and we are excited to be a part of it.
What has been the most challenging part of running your business during COVID, and how did you overcome it (or how are you overcoming it)?
Hiring, staffing, price increases, food shortages, the initial closures… The list goes on! It has been a difficult season to get through but our wonderful manager and fantastic team have done an amazing job. We’ve had to adjust hours periodically and even completely close to allow time for hiring and training, but we hope most of that is behind us now.
Tell us about the Grand Rapids location, Brown Butter Crêperie and Café!
Crêpe Sake and Brown Butter are very similar but have a few differences on the menu. Most everything we make is made from scratch or locally sourced when possible.
Brown Butter is located in an old greenhouse in the Eastown neighborhood of Grand Rapids. The building is adorable and has such wonderful character. For both restaurants, we want to keep the vibe light and casual while offering the best experience to our customers.
What are some exciting plans you have for the business in 2022?
At this point, we are just excited for a little stability in 2022! We’ll continue to try new monthly specials and hopefully have some expanded outdoor seating in the warmer months.
What are a few of your favorite businesses in the Greater Lansing area?
We love supporting local businesses including Playmakers and Groovy Donuts.
Instagram: for_crepe_sake
Facebook: ForCrepeSakeEastLansing
Website: forcrepesake.com
Images and photos provided by For Crêpe Sake
