Indulge in new flavours at this Kelowna crepe café

The culinary scene in Kelowna just got a bit more sweet and savoury, as it welcomes Empire Crepe to the market.

Chef and Owner Brandi Haaf, brings this business to Kelowna, after spending the last several years in Portland, Maine.

Her experience with the French delicacy was learned during her time in Kansas City working in a French restaurant. Haff quickly picked up the delicate skill, and as they say, the rest is history.

“We started crepe food trucks, and we had a couple of trucks we would run for four years. We’d do weddings, events, concerts. Then we decided to relocate to Kelowna to open a brick and mortar, and here we are,” she said.

Haaf said there are many similarities between Kelowna and Portland, which, in part, drove the decision to relocate.

“[Maine] is a big vacation area. Half of Massachusetts and upstate New York come there for summer holidays,” Haaf told Kelowna10. “We’re used to that dynamic where we had a lot of tourism in the summer, and I wanted to go someplace that the city was growing and had a good food scene.”

The menu at Empire features two distinct styles of crepe: a traditional, desert style, and the more savoury choice, which use ingredients like meat, homemade cheese, fresh vegetables, and homemade sauces.

Haaf said people have been very excited and enthusiastic about trying something they’re familiar with, but also something new.

“It’s something I think a lot of people grew up on, and they get very excited when they see the options. People don’t think of savoury crepes because everyone’s had desert crepes. So, when they see the savoury ones, then they get really excited,” she said.

The décor inside the café pays homage to the art deco and jazz age. Iconic scenes of flappers and the roaring 20s sit alongside a wall that features silent movies. Haff, herself, not only loves the period, but appreciates the leap forward in freedoms women gained during the decade, too.

“And I felt a little kinship to that, plus the style is cool it would create something unique that I think people would enjoy,” Haaf explained. “We want people to not just enjoy our food, but to look around and really enjoy where they’re sitting and having a good meal.”