Who would think a casual stroll down a bustling street in New York could change their life? That is precisely what happened to Marleen Zhik and Steve Kogan, president and vice president of franchising at Eight Turn Crêpe. By Heidi Lubrani
Who would think a casual stroll down a bustling street in New York could change their life? That is precisely what happened to Marleen Zhik and Steve Kogan, president and vice president of franchising at Eight Turn Crêpe.
“My business partner and I accidentally just stumbled upon them in 2016. We were in SoHo, and we saw this store with a really unique window display and a huge line out the door and down the block. So we decided to get on line and try these crêpes,” Zhik recalled.
“After I tasted them, I was blown away, so we went back again to talk to the owner,” Zhik said. “They happened to be relocating at the time, so that’s basically when we came on board and partnered together. We opened a location with them in DeKalb Market Hall in downtown Brooklyn. It’s one of the country’s largest food halls, and you can only get in there by invitation. After this, I knew we had to franchise because it’s such a scalable concept, and I really wanted to bring it everywhere.”
Although some may think that Zhik and Kogan’s experience was a result of luck or a big appetite, the brand’s first franchisees had similar experiences, too. “They just came into the store, tasted it and fell in love with the concept. Those are our franchisees. They are the people that saw the value in it and wanted to become a part of this,” said Zhik.
With stores currently established in New York, Texas and Florida, the Eight Turn Crêpe team is looking to share their unique, gluten-free sweet and savory delights with other communities. “I love that you can do more with this concept than just dine in or take out food. You can add huge revenue with catering and parties, plus we also do pop-ups and food festivals. We can easily participate because we are a handheld food. We want to be a part of the neighborhood in a community of people that just fall in love with this food,” concluded Zhik.
Heidi Lubrani