1 week Ago By Beth Lipoff For The Daily News
When Nicole Flores tasted a crepe at a local fair, she thought she could make a better one. Looking for a new challenge, and with some help from her husband Andres Chavez, she opened Cupid’s Aroma in November. The restaurant features all sorts of crepes that she’d just been making at home for fun before opening the venue.
Although she’s never run a restaurant before, after selling plain crepes at the Kalama Fair , she knew the idea was a winner. “We did really well. People were all excited about crepes," Chavez said.
"They gave us positive feedback. They asked us, ‘Why aren’t you opening a store?’ so we went ahead and started looking for places." A crepe with Nutella, strawberries and bananas lays on a table at Cupid's Aroma on Thursday, Dec.
12 in Longview. Cupid's Aroma sells sweet and savory crepes. They followed that up with an appearance at the Cowlitz County Fair.
“We noticed people were looking for also savory stuff. When we did the Cowlitz Fair, we added a ham crepe, and it was a hit. Then we realized we needed a variety of options, sweet and savory,” Chavez said.
Plans for the restaurant really kicked into gear after Flores lost her previous job in July. Chavez had also been laid off, and the two used his severance money as capital for the business, along with investments from friends and family. Now, Flores is running Cupid’s Aroma, while Chavez provides support when he’s not at his new job at the Emergency Support Shelter .
Location :1242 Commerce Ave., Longview. Hours : 9 a.
m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.
m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Info : cupidsaroma.com or 360-523-4479. One of the more popular options at the restaurant is a BLT crepe with bacon, lettuce, tomato and grilled chicken.
Another has chorizo, egg and cheese, and a third breakfast-focused one features bacon, eggs, cheese and bell pepper. “We have a big diversity for people to be able to come for lunch, breakfast or dinner,” Chavez said. For your sweet tooth, there’s one with dulce de leche, diced peaches and roasted almonds, and another with Nutella, strawberries and bananas.
Chaves said people also love to have a crepe with blueberries, blackberries and strawberries—or even just a plain one. Katherine Nicole Flores Salcedo, of Longview, puts the finishing touches on a sweet crepe at Cupid's Aroma on Thursday, Dec. 12 in Longview.
And if none of the menu suggestions appeals to you, there’s also an option to build your own combination. For all of it, freshness is one of their big selling points. “Everything is cooked at the moment.
Every morning, we make the butter. Nothing is left for the next day. We buy the ingredients pretty much every day, which is a pain, but we believe in everything being fresh for the clients,” Chavez said Many of their ingredients are organic, and when possible, they like to buy local produce.
Cupid's Aroma's storefront is seen on Thursday, Dec. 12 in Longview. The restaurant is located next to Canela Sugar Body Studio on Commerce Avenue.
Flores and Chavez are originally from Ecuador, but one thing they’ve noticed about Washington is its obsession with coffee. Their initial idea was actually do have a coffee and flower shop before landing on the idea of crepes. “We knew from the very beginning people here love their coffee,” Chavez said Flores has barista Yazmin Leon handle the coffee, because as Mormons, she and Chavez don’t drink it themselves.
Leon, however, has experience working in a coffee shop back in Mexico. “I like the coffee because it’s a kind of art. You can make art with coffee.
It’s a thing that you can express your feelings with,” Leon said. In addition to crepes, Cupid's Aroma also offers iced and hot coffees and teas. If coffee isn’t your thing, don’t worry.
They also serve chai and fruit smoothies. Beyond the food, Flores has tried to create a place where people enjoy spending their time. “We wanted to make a nice environment where people can come read a book, have date, have a girls’ night out,” Chavez said.
While they’re embracing the coffee culture of Washington, they’re also bringing a little flavor of home to Longview. “We’re Ecuadorian. We’re Latino, and we want to promote some of the culture as well, so in the background when you come, you’ll probably hear salsa music,” Chavez said.
They hope to have salsa classes and karaoke nights in the future. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly..
