There’s a new spot in Arroyo Grande where loved ones can bond over a shared dessert one minute and sever their ties during a cutthroat round of Uno the next.Before opening a brick-and-mortar cafe in May, mobile vendor Heather Swabb and a family member joked about setting up a Mario Kart area at Let’s Crave It Crepes for customers to enjoy. The beloved temper-raising racing game didn’t make the cut, but there’s plenty of competitive tabletops like Sorry and Jenga at the shop to pit patron against patron.“My sister said I should put a TV up with Mario Kart on if I really wanted people to fight. … I’d be watching people fight and break up left and right,” Swabb told the Sun with a laugh. “I don’t need my store to be known for that.”
Since 2019, Swabb’s crepe business has been known for serving at pop-up events, private parties, farmers markets, and long-term weekly stints across the Central Coast. Let’s Crave It Crepes started as a tent operation before Swabb acquired a food trailer near the end of 2020. Swabb’s father helped assemble the interior.
“In my store, I have a whole wall dedicated to my dad, in memory of him,” Swabb said. “I lost my dad two years ago to COVID … I wouldn’t have gotten to the store without him helping me with the food truck.
“It’s thanks to my dad and my mom, really,” said Swabb, whose mom was helping organize napkins and other supplies at the brick-and-mortar during Swabb’s call with the Sun on May 8. “My mom’s been my No. 1 supporter.”
While Swabb’s personal favorite crepe on Let’s Crave It Crepes’ menu is the berry Bavarian—with a choice of fruit, Bavarian cream, condensed milk, and cinnamon sugar, topped with whipped cream—“my mom’s [go-to] is The Elvis,” the local purveyor said.
Peanut butter and banana slices—key features of the iconic Elvis sandwich—find harmony in The Elvis crepe, adorned with chocolate syrup, powdered sugar, and whipped cream.Berry Bavarian and The Elvis are among the menu options at Let’s Crave It Crepes, and customers can also opt to build their own crepes from scratch. Taking this route allows you to mix and match any of the shop’s toppings and syrups to then load upon a selection of base options.
“You can choose anything at my store to be on a crepe, bubble waffle, loaded brownie bites, or waffle cone nachos,” Swabb said.
Strawberries and Nutella are among the most popular ingredients customers go for, Swabb added. The Central Coast local sources all of the shop’s fruits (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and bananas) from the Hayashi Fruit Stand in Oceano. For large quantities of eggs and other goods, Swabb often stocks up at Costco.
“I’ll buy like 50 to 60 packs of Nutella, and I’m like, ‘I swear it’s not for me; I don’t have an addiction, guys,’” said Swabb, who occasionally catches odd glances from others in the Costco line.
For the majority of Swabb’s time running Let’s Crave It Crepes, the food truck operation was a one-woman show. On occasion, Swabb would ask a friend to help take down orders during large events but worked solo otherwise. The opening of Swabb’s brick-and-mortar—on East Grand Avenue—marked a shift, as the crepe maker now has a full team of employees.
“All my staff are female; I’m 100 percent female-owned and operated. I wanted to create a safe space for women,” said Swabb, who had some memorable “proud mom” moments during staff members’ training.
“It’s a learning process. … I didn’t know how hard it was to make a crepe. It came so naturally to me that I didn’t realize that it’s actually difficult to make a circle on a pan,” Swabb said, recalling episodes of trial and error that resulted in octagons, hexagons, and other shapes before some staffers perfected their crepe making.
“My heart felt good watching them succeed.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood wants to know your favorite crepe and waffle toppings at [email protected].
