An exciting new business, featuring crepes, boba tea, and board games, is opening near Franklin! On May 23, Capes & Crepes is set to open on Southeast 50th and Division. Capes & Crepes is owned and operated by Karim Soliman and Chelsea Hughes, the couple behind the business.
Before creating the Capes & Crepes concept, Soliman and Hughes were interested in finding a local hangout spot that was welcoming, community-focused, and not centered around alcohol. A few years ago, the couple decided to take matters into their own hands and create exactly what they were looking for. Now, all of their work is coming to fruition as the pair plans their grand opening for later this month.
As of a few weeks before opening, the cafe portion of the business — the “crepe” in Capes & Crepes — is planned to feature about five each of both savory and sweet crepes. These include options such as chicken pesto, pizza, and PB&J crepes. Soliman explains that the idea is to elevate classic, nostalgic childhood favorites into a more mature form. Beyond the eponymous crepes, the cafe will offer traditional coffee fare as well as a full boba tea menu.
Capes & Crepes is a passion project that Soliman and Hughes kept adding on to as they pondered its concept, Soliman explains. “We wanted to do miniature games, we wanted to sell used games, we wanted to do puzzles, and how about private Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) rental rooms, and a cafe and boba?” Soliman says, recalling the brainstorming process. The business is centered on the idea of community and welcome, Hughes explains, and is designed to be as approachable as possible, to gaming gurus and newbies alike.
The focus on approachability to newcomers is born from the owners’ personal experience, which is a common theme in the business. Hughes in particular, despite her love of board games, finds game stores to be “really intimidating,” especially if “you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for.” Now, Hughes says that one of her main goals for the store is to create a “space where everyone can be really comfortable.”
Soliman explains how the store layout is designed for this very purpose, with games organized by type and theme rather than alphabetically, as is typical for many game stores. “Say you’re really interested in gardening and nature things, there will be a section for that with , so right away it will be really noticeable to you,” Hughes explains. In addition, Capes & Crepes is set to have an extensive free game library, of what Soliman estimates will consist of around 500 games. These will be available for anyone to try out and play in the store.
The store and cafe are meant to be welcoming even to those uninterested in games — Soliman and Hughes encourage anyone to stop by, even if it’s just for some crepes, coffee, or boba tea. They want to create “a place you can hang out after school, even if you’re bringing your homework and grabbing a boba and just sitting there and enjoying being in the space.”
Soliman explains that when he was in high school, there was a card shop right next to his school where he could run to buy packs of cards before getting on the bus. He would then open and trade them with friends on the way home. “I remember what I liked about the shop was it was welcoming to the community and it was welcoming to the students … you always felt at home there … I wanted to recreate that experience for Franklin and even Atkinson students,” Soliman says. He adds that Capes & Crepes is intended to be “a home for people to hang out in.”
Their plan after opening is to have casual events on weekdays, with tournaments and competitions on weekends. Once a month, Soliman and Hughes plan on hosting larger and more competitive events, with bigger prizes than regular weekends. The store will have a designated tournament space, so people can still come by casually while tournaments are taking place.
The owners are also planning on having summer programs for kids, including D&D camps, and they hope to work with the Multnomah County Library’s Summer Reading program to give out prizes. Throughout the school year, Soliman and Hughes plan on hosting different game clubs, along with movie nights, puzzle nights, and theme nights. There will be a community board, and space available to rent for private events, with optional catering from the cafe.
Soliman and Hughes are excited to receive feedback from customers to create the space and events the community desires. The owners encourage people of all ages and interests to stop by the grand opening on May 23 and to send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the business email listed on their website at capesandcrepes.com.
