Novel names, fillings abound at mobile creperie

This summer, visitors to Schenley Plaza could delight in crepes that paid tribute to popular film characters and actors, with flavors including Hammy DeVito, Banana Hathaway and Cocoa-Missioner Gordon.

The Creped Crusaders, a stand operated by Pitt graduates Mike Good and Dean Matthews, frequently occupied a spot at the Oakland Farmers Market, which convened every Friday this summer. Both graduates have other sources of income and paid for their project through a mix of their own funds and a grant from a local nonprofit organization.

Good and Matthews went to high school together just outside of Pittsburgh in the Plum, Pa., area, remaining close throughout college. Matthews, who holds a degree in English writing, and Good, who holds a degree in biology, both graduated in 2011.

While studying abroad in London as an undergrad, Good ate his way through various European nations, sampling different cuisines. After he arrived home, he experienced reverse culture shock and missed the tastes from his travels.

Good developed his idea for a crepe business during the two years he spent in AmeriCorps, a corporation geared toward nationwide community service. Matthews, who had been working with UPMC for two years, agreed to take on the challenge with his old pal, and the two started selling crepes this May.

The two men handle all the business operations, including cooking, setting up and serving. Although they do hope to hire employees in the future, they want to first build enough revenue to expand the business with initiatives such as a food truck and a permanent spot on the street. 

Specialty crepes at the stand run for about $7, but customers can also choose to build their own crepe with a variety of fillings both savory and sweet. The crepe itself is priced at $3, and most fillings cost about $1 each. The low prices make the Creped Crusaders competitive with the brick-and-mortar Crepes Parisiennes on South Craig Street.

Pitt sophomore Caitlin Shoemaker enjoyed the addition to the market, digging into a crepe filled with hummus and onions —  one of the stand’s savory options. “The Lawrencevillain was really good. I like that I can get it on a vegan shell,” Shoemaker said.

One of the sweeter and newer options to hit the stand’s signature-items menu includes a s’more option, which is filled with marshmallow fluff, chocolate chips, graham crackers and cinnamon.

A startup grant for the Creped Crusaders came from Awesome Pittsburgh, a local chapter of the national Awesome Foundation, which grants money to creative projects that the organization’s members deem worthy.

Mike Capsambelis, a trustee of the group, said in an email that the group provides one-time, $1000 grants. There are no restrictions about reapplying for an additional grant.

Other programs that have received grants from Awesome Pittsburgh include ZipPitt, an urban zipline, and Carrie Deer Salvage Art Workshop, an on-site workshop housed at an old steel mill.

“We look for projects that excite us and that we think will inspire, surprise or delight the whole Pittsburgh community,” Capsambelis said. 

Although many of the expenses for starting the business came out of Matthews’ and Good’s own pockets, Good credited the grant with getting their enterprise started.

“Without Awesome Pittsburgh, it would still just be an idea that I was kicking around,” Good said. 

Expansion is in the works, but it may be hampered by the owners’ other projects. Matthews said that they would probably not obtain a street truck anytime soon because of the permits and inspections such a business would require. 

“We both have interests outside of the crepe business, especially creative interests that may keep us from becoming a restaurant,” Good said. 

Instead, the pair is considering adding sandwiches and other crepe options to the menu. New recipes and punny names are already being discussed, and many of them play on the Batman movies and Pittsburgh neighborhoods. 

The pair agrees on the reason that making crepes makes them happy. 

“We love Pittsburgh, and we just wanted to bring something new to the community. It seemed like Pittsburgh needed crepes and didn’t have any,” said Good.