FRANKLIN — In September 2017, my husband Joel and I sold almost everything we owned, including our home in Southern California. We bought a small, used RV, and set off across the country with our two children, two cats, and a dog. With no clear idea of where exactly we would land, we set our sights on the New England area. 

        Thankfully, we found Franklin. Driving into New Hampshire, the scenery blew us away. Having grown up in England myself, I immediately felt more at home among the vast stretches of trees, green as far as the eye can see. The smaller roads, the slower pace of life, the charming small towns: everything told us that this would be home.

For the first four years of our lives here, I commuted to Manchester, working as a correctional officer at Hillsborough County Department of Corrections. The hours were long, stress levels were high, and once the pandemic hit, I knew something had to change. Joel and I had discussed opening a business in downtown Franklin. 

Twenty or so years ago I owned a small restaurant in England. Joel had prior experience with running businesses and had skills with technology that I could only dream of. We wanted to bring something new and different to Franklin. But what? 

Growing up, my family had a second home in Brittany, France. Just down the road was a creperie that I begged to be taken to almost daily. Crepes are a traditional French food originating from the 13th century. 

Essentially, a crepe is a very thin pancake typically folded or rolled around a sweet or savory filling that could be anything from the ever popular Nutella, to eggs, ham, fruit, or vegetables — anything the imagination desires. Though I grew up eating and learning to make crepes, they aren’t something that are often available in this part of the world. It was perfect. 

And so, Downtown Crepes was born. It was a challenge that I think we had both been craving. We found a location that we loved, the only problem being that it was an empty shell of a space. 

We knuckled down and got to work, building the kitchen and the dining area from the ground up. We made it our own, and though it was exhausting, we loved every minute.

We opened in June  2022, and we’re still here. So, we must be doing something right. Everybody knows that opening a restaurant of any kind is a huge risk, but what would life be without jumping into the unknown every once in a while?