Le Petit Café & Crěperie opens at former site of Water Street Cafe

By Emma Coke, Ashland.news

The new eatery at the corner of Main Street and Water Street, across from Ashland Plaza, has reclaimed wood countertops, hanging pots of herbs at each corner, a few small Meyer lemon trees, specially made charcuterie boards and the beginnings of vines reaching to climb up the posts.

Co-owners Sierra Campbell and Dax Willard are aiming to turn their recently-opened Le Petit Café & Crěperie into an oasis filled with greenery and quality food that will become a hub for the Ashland community. 

Campbell grew up in a creperie, learning the recipes from her stepmother, and hasn’t strayed far from crepes. For 10 years, she ran her own crepe food truck, Full Moon Crepes, before opening this location with Willard.

“I literally grew up in a creperie,” Campbell said. “I took the crepe stuff from the creperie I grew up in and put them in that food truck. And I’m taking that concept and doing it here.”

It’s not just the tools and the concept. The same recipes she grew up on are also the same she uses in Le Petit Café & Crěperie. 

“I do specials and I do things that are regional with what’s seasonal, but the menu is the menu I grew up on,” Campbell said. “It hasn’t changed.”

Campbell prides herself of her crepe’s true-ness to their French origin.

“I had somebody in here the other day, who’s French, and she’s like, ‘It’s nice to see someone who’s doing a traditional menu and knows how to fold them,’” Campbell said. “You know a lot of times in America, we roll them and we put like creams and jellies and all kinds of things. It’s a pretty traditional French menu and we do it just the same way.”

If crepes aren’t your thing, their menu offers far more than that. 

Campbell and Willard are pushing the boundaries on what a creperie can be, serving everything from charcuterie boards to bar snacks, including nuts, chips and olives, to beverages like lemonade, wine, beer and seltzers, in addition to their standard French crepes.

“We’re just really excited about the breadboards, the charcuterie boards, because we can really highlight all the local farmers in the area here with the local wines and really bring in, you know, the communities,” Willard said. “What they offer in this region is so abundant and wonderful.”

Their menu could be even more flexible, as Campbell and Willard are looking to the community to see what they would want to see served.

“We’re ready to run with it, we’re ready to see what everyone wants,” Campbell said. “I love crepes. I’m happy to share them and I’m open to other things.”

They’re even open to hosting events. Campbell said she was asked recently if they could host a private party at their creperie. 

“Like we’re open to everything,” Campbell said. “Like we don’t have any real parameters right now. We don’t have any limitations. We can change our menu to cater a party. We can throw in a grill, we can do oysters. We could do a champagne oyster bar here. We don’t have any limitations.”

Since their opening on the Fourth of July, they’ve experienced slow traffic but have enjoyed the experience so far. 

“It’s been sweet,” Campbell said. “I mean, it’s slow because of the heat, but it’s really nice to kind of ease in… We’re getting to know what works and what doesn’t, and get our systems in place.”

They’ve attracted regulars of the closed Water Street Cafe, prior occupants of the prime downtown location, and have received a lot of support from the cafe’s owner, Adrienne Hill.

“The regulars that were Adrienne’s regulars that are already like ‘Cool, it’s back. We’re here.’ They’re just happy to have their space back open,” Campbell said. “And we’ve had nothing but positive in every direction. Like Adrienne has been so supportive. She was the owner. She has been so supportive.”

Attempts by Ashland.news to reach Hill for more about information about Water Street Cafe were unsuccessful. 

Right now, apart from Campbell and Willard, the crěperie’s team is mostly made up of their kids and their kids’ friends. 

“I know how hard it is to get your first job and create a resume,” Campbell said. “And, so even if they’re just working one or two days a week, this is a great opportunity for them to learn some things and learn it and as a gentle way.”

“I built where I would want to be,” Campbell said. “And I’m serving what I would want to eat.” 

Email Ashland.news reporter intern Emma Coke at [email protected].