Venue Information

Gary and Marlene Keeley opened the Crepe Place in February 1973, in a small building at the corner of Ocean St. and Soquel in Santa Cruz. The restaurant was so tiny that only ten people, if they were close friends, could be seated at one time. The food was unique to Santa Cruz; few had heard of crepes, fewer still had enjoyed them. But, word spread quickly, and soon the Crepe Place had outgrown its tiny home.

In the summer of 1974, the Keeleys moved their growing business downtown next to the town clock, sharing a building with the United Bar. After the United Bar closed a few years later, the Crepe Place took over the entire space, which featured the cooks working in full view of the guests. But, on Christmas Eve 1988, a fierce storm undermined the shale cliffs of the old San Lorenzo River banks that hovered behind the building, and tons of rock came crashing down. Suddenly, The Crepe Place was out of business.