La Creperie Co. | Cooking Up Success
By ERIC SMITH | Photos by JENNIFER GOETZ
Topekan Carmen Romero-Nichols still remembers the magic of eating her first crêpe while visiting family in Mexico City.
“I remember walking to a crêpe stand in Mexico City,” Romero-Nichols said. “They probably had 10 different items I wanted to try. It was very hard to narrow down my choice, but I tried a crêpe and it was so good. It became a tradition that every time I’d go to Mexico City, I’d try out different crêpes.”
The life-changing experience inspired her to open La Creperie Co., a food truck that sells hot, fresh crêpes made from scratch. Their menu includes everything from sweet and savory crêpes to chicken and waffles.
A DRIVE FOR BUSINESS
Originally from Mexico City, Romero-Nichols moved to Topeka when she was 12. She received her undergraduate degree from Washburn University and her MBA from Baker University, all while raising two children.
She still visits her family in Mexico City. Last month, Romero-Nichols went back for a wedding and spent time with her 96-year-old grandma, who she calls the best cook in a family of many exceptional cooks. Her family began teaching her how to cook when she was still a toddler.
Romero-Nichols had always wanted to run her own business. After years of working on a business plan, she decided to enroll in a class at Washburn Small Business Development Center to learn more about starting a business. While there, she connected with Nadia Arbelo, the organization’s interim regional director.
“I got serious about opening this business, and I wanted to come up with the type of crêpe I wanted to serve,” Romero-Nichols said. “I had a recipe I’d developed, and I practiced and tweaked it like 50 times until it was the batter and consistency I wanted to serve.”
When she opened La Creperie Co. in July 2023, one of the first crêpes she sold featured Nutella, a brand of sweet hazelnut and cocoa-based spread. “The first crêpe I had in Mexico had Nutella,” she said, describing how the mass appeal of the popular condiment made it a perfect choice for her menu.
This spring, Romero-Nichols added new items to the menu, but she prefers to keep La Creperie Co.’s menu limited to ensure her operations remain as high quality and efficient as possible.
“I can’t expand it too much,” she said. “I have a lot of ideas all the time. The space limitations in the food truck make it really hard to add more ingredients to the mix. But I was able to come up with three savory options this year.”
La Creperie Co. offers five options for sweet crêpes: banana and Nutella with corn flakes and pecans; peaches and cream cheese with granola, condensed milk and pecans; strawberries and cream cheese with raspberry drizzle, condensed milk, almonds and graham cracker crumbs; apple caramel pie with cream cheese; and s’mores Nutella.
Their savory crêpes include pizza with pepperoni, cheese and marinara sauce; egg, ham and cheese with sour cream or jam; and chorizo and egg with potatoes, onions and sour cream.
Customers can also create their own crêpe or waffle, or try them plain.
“I love how creative I can get with crêpes,” Romero-Nichols said. “I wanted to bring something special and unique to our community and contribute to its diversity and business growth.”
BALANCING WORK
She continues to work as a full-time operations director at ECI Services in Topeka, running the food truck on nights and weekends. La Creperie Co.’s team includes Romero-Nichols’ adult daughters, Gabriela and Daniela, and her mom, Sol.
“My mom was always a very hardworking woman,” Romero-Nichols said. “I definitely inherited that from her, because I feel like I work really hard. I have the drive to want to succeed and the persistence to keep going. My two adult daughters, who I had at a very young age, have been the inspiration and the push behind everything I do.”
LEADING BY SERVING
For Romero-Nichols, leading means serving others. She currently serves as chair of the Human Relations Commission for the city and is on the board of the Small Business Council. Romero-Nichols said the Greater Topeka Partnership (GTP) has provided her with many helpful resources throughout her business journey, and credits GTP mentor Chris McGee for guiding her.
“Topeka has been a great place to own a business and raise two daughters,” she said. “I feel I have a duty to represent the Hispanic community in Topeka because I care deeply about other Latino businesses and want them to succeed. As a woman, an immigrant and a minority business owner, I want to represent and be an example for others with backgrounds similar to mine.”
Romero-Nichols was named to the Jayhawk Council Top 20 Under 40 list in November 2023. She graduated from Leadership Greater Topeka this spring.
“That program is just so valuable to not just me, but anybody that is a leader in our community,” she said. “It teaches us so much about Topeka and its history and where it’s going, and its potential, and I’m really excited to be a part of anything that improves our city.”
La Creperie Co. food truck is often parked at the Downtown Topeka Farmer’s Market, but Romero-Nichols recommends following their Facebook and Instagram pages to track their weekly schedule. You can also visit their website at www.lacreperieco.com.
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