A food trailer, La Petite Crêpe, has made a large impact on the Brookings community already. Bringing a sliver of France to South Dakota, La Petite Crêpe started in May 2022 when Stéphane Hervieu’s family moved to Brookings.
Stéphane used his experience in France as inspiration for La Petite Crêpe. The recipes come from traditional cuisine originating from northwestern France, specifically Brittany.
“When I was in France, I worked at a French restaurant as a chef,” Stéphane says. “I made some crêpes during this period. So I imported some recipes and some French touches for the Brookings community.”
As a small business owner, Stéphane values supporting local businesses. With that in mind, he started researching foods available in the area and came up with the idea of La Petite Crêpe to showcase locally sourced ingredients.
“I try to use something different, with good, locally and often organic ingredients,” he says. “I work only with fresh products – nothing is frozen.”
You can find Stéphane most Saturdays from May to October at the Brookings Farmers Market on the 300 block of Sixth Avenue, between the Brookings Public Library and the Brookings County Courthouse. The market operates from 9 a.m. to noon.
“I think my best memory is my first event at the Brookings Farmers Market,” Stéphane says. “The line was so long, but people loved the experience, and week after week, the people are still present. The Brookings community is amazing, and the feedback is awesome. That day I sold 150 crêpes alone in three hours, so it was a big rush.”
Each week, La Petite Crêpe offers a variety of sweet and savory crêpes and galettes as well as gluten-free options. If you can’t decide which one looks the best, try Stéphane’s favorite.
“My favorite crêpe is 'La Nantaise' with salted butter and sugar. It is simple, but with this simple recipe, you can taste the flavor of the crêpe,” he says.
Other popular items on the menu include “La Parisienne,” made of organic banana and dark chocolate, and “La Super Complete,” a mix of egg, ham, Swiss cheese, mushrooms and sautéed onions.
Although the business is new, the future of La Petite Crêpe is bright.
“My goal is to find a regular inside place to sell my crêpes all year long,” Stéphane says. “I would love to find a place or a partnership with a local store for the winter. The top choice would be a partnership with a local coffee shop or brewery and sell my crêpes one or two days a week all year long.”
La Petite Crêpe’s full schedule is available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/la.petite.crepe.USA/. You can also follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/la.petite.crepe/. Private catering is available for business or personal events. Be on the lookout for La Petite Crêpe’s new website, which is coming soon.
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