Three months after chezous opened, I told my partner it was over.

I was dissatisfied with the partnership and I knew that dissatisfaction wasn’t going to disappear with time or effort. It was time to rip off the bandaid.

Impatient? Yes.

A bad decision? Maybe.

But regretful? Never.

If I was going to fail, I wanted the responsibility for it to be entirely mine.

I’m now the sole owner of an authentic French creperie in Seoul, Korea. I don’t know the first thing about making crepes or running a cafe. I don’t have previous experience as a chef or barista. I’m out of my depths here. But on the flip side, I’m free from the burden of choice – I have to make it work. And if I’m going to do this every day for who knows how long, I might as well make it worth it.

Fritz Coffee, Cafe Knotted, and London Bagel Museum are all known for their thing. Coffee, donuts, bagels – they each have their own thing. Our thing is crepes. I want chezous to be in that same conversation, and I want it to last.

I admit we’re very far from that goal, but we’ve started moving in the right direction. We’ve changed roasters, branded properly, and made the cafe feel genuinely cozy – all in service of the same vision.

My staff and I are pouring everything into the new menu – I can’t wait for it to be complete. First, I don’t think it’s good for anyone to eat this many crepes. But more importantly, I’m proud of what we’re working on. I want the staff to see the fruits of their efforts, and ultimately, I want you to experience it!

As for more details on the menu… next time,

austin