NoDa Arts District: Courage To Close Crepe Cellar

Press release from the NoDa Arts District:

Jamie Brown

November 4, 2021

Jeff and I teamed up with local restaurateur Paul Manley (of Sea Level NC, The Waterman, and Ace No. 3) to help open our first spot. Crepe Cellar, now over a dozen years old, has become a mainstay in the ever-transitioning NoDa community.

Back then, it was tough getting the word out, too. With no heavy presence on social media, I used to sit at a wine barrel outside the door of Crepe Cellar on gallery crawl nights, talking to locals and collecting email addresses. Because this was going to be our primary livelihood, we didn’t have the choice to fail.

This kind of transition can be difficult for any business. We’re tied emotionally to our first restaurant, and on top of that, it’s remained a profitable business. But, as we look to the future, we’ve determined it’s time for something new.

Tonidandel is a very rare name in the U.S., but it traces back to the Dolomite region of northern Italy, where there are hundreds of Tonidandels. One of the villages in that region is called Andalo, and it is the town that was the genesis of the name Tonidandel (think: Antonio di Andalo, which eventually became Tonidandel).

Our transition will be a bit unique, as we have 25 team members, and we want to do everything we can to keep them financially secure. We’ll do a lot of the build-out on Mondays, when Crepe Cellar is closed, so that when the time comes to totally flip to Ever Anadalo, we can make it happen as quickly as possible.

For Jeff and I, life is about growth. It’s about taking risks, being courageous enough to revise what we’ve created, and get better at what we do. We’re excited about offering something new that inspires, uplifts, and brings even more joy to this city. Please follow along on Crepe Cellar’s Instagram to watch us bring this new project to life. We can’t wait for you to experience this special place!

Crepe Cellar’s Instagram

This press release was produced by the NoDa Arts District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.