'Mama Mornings' at Tour de Crepes
We urbanMamas could always use another recommendation on a spot for coffee, nourishment, and play-space for the tykes. Amy, thanks for the tip on Tour de Crepes on Alberta:
Brenda Drain, my friend and the owner, is very mama-minded. We are starting a little something called "mama mornings" starting this Wednesday. It's a sort of happy hour for mommies, with 20% off our delicious foods and drink. We have a sandbox, patio for sidewalk chalking, and are really trying to encourage mommies to have a place to enjoy a decadent meal or snack, AND have a cool place for the kids to hang.
P.S. Ruth also passed on the info to us as well. Seems Tour De Crepes is well-known in the mama crowd.
Posted by: urbanMama | August 01, 2006 at 10:04 PM
The one time I went to Tour De Crepes, after reading about it here on the UM site, they had no highchair available for my 1-year old. Apparently theirs had been stolen and not replaced. It was very frustrating for me since I had gone out of my way to eat there since it was supposedly so family-friendly. Hopefully they have rectified this situation.
Posted by: Julie | August 02, 2006 at 12:45 PM
So fun to see some of you mamas out on the patio this morning! I enjoyed getting to meet a few new families, especially enjoyed talking with you, Ruth. Great suggestion to do a stroller gathering & walk together after hanging out at the cafe. We have a couple moms doing this now, but not really organized. If anyone is interested in making it a regular event, I'm happy to get you in touch with one another - just LMK. (Wilshire, Alberta & Fernhill parks are all in walking distance & Wilshire is especially nice for the littler ones!)
As far as high chairs go, it's true the two we had were stolen - unfortunately they were removed from the chairs they were on & were lifted right out the door! Amy has arranged for replacements that are expected to be here by weeks end so we'll be back on track ASAP! Julie, I do hope you'll give us another try. I'm happy to treat you to your next visit as it sounds like your time here proved difficult :(
As always, mamas, please introduce yourself if you stop by - I love getting the chance to meet others "in the trenches" of mamahood! And do let me know if you have suggestions for things we can do to make our place even more family friendly.
Hope to see you soon!
Posted by: brenda | August 02, 2006 at 10:11 PM
The last time we were there they also did not have restrooms and you had to go next door to another cafe and use theirs. Just be prepared for that if you have an early-in-potty-training kid like we do.
And do you have decaf coffee now? Seems to me there wasn't any when we were there.
Posted by: Kat | August 04, 2006 at 02:28 PM
Seriously mamas? I've never had ANY issues at this place! Brenda & staff are as attentive as can be. I ALWAYS order decaf as I'm still nursing and she always ASKS if I'm having decaf when I forget to order it that way because she knows that's how I drink it. Give her a break. This single mom is BUSTING HER ASS to provide a great outdoor space for kids & babies to play and moms to hang out. It's a glorious, magical place. You're being way too hard on her. For the record, the bathroom is RIGHT next door on the same property - it's not a big deal at all.
You know I've been lurking for ages on this site (mostly because I couldn’t figure out how to initially post a comment!) I’ve always found this site SUPPORTIVE of mamas which is why I enjoy it. I have to say this seems a LITTLE harsh. I'm sure she's had to work out a few kinks only being open a couple months, but I think she's doing a great job & needs to be encouraged instead of blasted with the difficulties of opening a new business. Sheesh.
Posted by: ruthie | August 05, 2006 at 11:42 AM
I gotta say that Tour de Crepes is probably my favorite "kid friendly" spot in town... Brenda not only tolerates my busy boy, but goes out of her way to welcome us every time we're there. We went when she first opened and didnt have her credit card machine running yet and I of course never have cash on hand, so she let me leave an IOU at the register so that I could pay her the next time I came in. We've been in several times this summer and Anders always has a blast playing in the sandbox, and I can actually sit and relax and enjoy a good treat and possibly the best cup of coffee in town.
We were in yesterday and Anders thought it would be clever if he carried a bucket of sand inside and tried to dump it into the garbage can...of course he missed and sand went everywhere...and then he dumped his cup of water on the floor...and I cant tell you how many times he tried to get into her little kitchen out back...All the while Brenda just laughed and cleaned it up and told me not to worry about it. And then she brought out a cup of sliced strawberries for Anders and his friend to share...so thoughtful! So, I think she's hitting the nail on the head!
Posted by: NoPo Mama | August 05, 2006 at 01:08 PM
I have yet to try Tour de Crepes, even though we live right by Alberta Street and now I think we will have to wander up there this Wednesday morning. I hope to see other UM's there too! Let's all support each other and eat yummy crepes at the same time . . .
Posted by: Patti | August 05, 2006 at 03:58 PM
Hitting the nail on the head is exactly right. HOw many places do you know where the staff or owner engages your kid and makes sure they are as/more welcome than you are! NoPo Mama, I had a similar experience with my son, Soren. He dumped a whole bucket of sand on the table right in the middle of the cafe, it poured onto the floor. Then he walked in it amd made a trail through the whole place. I was having a hard day with his busy-ness & was totally losing my patience (& my mind!) (I assume it was) Brenda stepped in to clean it up, asked him to come be her helper and got him interested in something new. Told me he was totally fine, not to worry (and actually appeared to mean it, not just smiling while clenching her teeth and being polite.) Later I commented on her patience and she told me, "keeping up with the little ones can be really exhausting. Now that my kids are a little bigger, I can see again that a little mess is no big deal. Soon he'll be big and you can help the next mom through it." OK mamas, that's a simple moment, but it changed my world & made me think there was light at the end of the tunnel. That simple gesture was more help to me than I can tell you. Here's a woman who made it through the space I'm in and is tackling a business and parenting by herself. I'm a single mom too and I can tell you, you don't get many breaks. Next time I need one, I'm heading back to Tour de Crepes where I know I can treat myself to a great meal and some time to relax without worrying about Soren.
Wish I could join you Wednesday or any of the mama mornings, but those are working hours for me. :-( If anyone wants to do a meet up on the weekend or evenings, please post!
Posted by: jen | August 05, 2006 at 09:49 PM
I'm really sorry that some of you felt that my comment about highchairs was being really harsh. I posted the information because I found that experience to be frustrating and I wanted other mama's to be prepared. If I had known ahead of time, I would have brought a stroller or something and it wouldn't have been a problem. I would have been grateful for that information in advance. As a self-employed mama myself, I do try to support other mama's in all their endeavours.
Posted by: Julie | August 06, 2006 at 01:50 PM
It's OK, I can take it! :) As I said, highchairs are on the way & I hope you are too, Julie, so I can make it up to you. While I'm here, let me address some of the other issues that have come up...
It’s 100% true that we don’t have a bathroom in our building. That’s because we’re considered a mobile kitchen & the building is really just a sheltered seating area. You’ll just have to come see what I mean for it to make sense (our kitchen is a converted Airstream trailer – yes, very quirky but also very fun! – the seating area is the old Carriage House for the Alberta Dairy & the patio/garden is something that was added later.) The available bathroom is on the property, entrance through Red Bird Studio, though we generally encourage folks with little ones to use Concordia Coffee House (we have been given direct permission/invitation to do this) as the coffeehouse is a straight shot in with no worries of having to keep hands off the artwork, cards, lamps, etc – easier on the moms from my perspective, but it’s at your discretion. The bathroom situation at Tour de Crepes is not something that will likely change soon as the Carriage House does not have the plumbing for that & to make that happen is more of an investment than I have the ability to make. Instead we're focusing on what we can realistically change & go from there.
Not sure what to tell you about the decaf, except to apologize. Decaf is what I drink so it’s one of the things I'm certain we have. It’s possible our new staff didn’t know where it was stored or that we did run out – it has happened. Again, I’m sorry for that. It really shouldn’t have been an issue.
As far as being a single parent & busting my ass – all very, very true! I have three children (age 8, 6 & 5) & have been on my own since November so I am definitely working through some major life adjustments. The most primary being childcare & figuring out how to balance attached kids & a job – come on by and you’ll see that I’m working on that too, as my children are at the café with me now & again when the babysitter or staff falls through or if I just don’t have the funds available to hire someone. Now, all that said, I do not consider that an excuse for things not being up to par or feel I need to be given some slack. As far as I'm concerned every mom here is working her bum off & should be given props for it!
I will say I learned early on in my career as café owner (formerly with Urban Grind & now here) that my life/business is very public simply because I work in/with the public (not that I am immune to it, just know it’s part of the reality!) No worries about the highchair comment. I would have been frustrated too. As far as the others, I did encourage people to let me know what else I can do to make you all feel welcome. Next time I'll clarify and ask people to do it directly first so I have a chance to fix it in front of one person rather than a whole community - like I said, still learning about life in public!
Of course I still do hope you mamas will come check us out. I think the café is a very fun & creative space to hang out and is well worth seeing it through the bumps & bruises of our first months here. Thanks to all of you who have sent emails with positive feedback & for alerting me that the post was getting a little heated so I could jump in & try to cool thing off a bit.
And thanks so much to Leah & Jen for sharing your stories. It really is true that another mom stepped in & helped me out with my children when they were tiny. She gave me that "light at the end of the tunnel" hope when I thought I couldn't change another diaper & would lose it if I had to clean up another dumped cup of juice. It literally made me cry to hear that you were touched in the same way I was. You made my day!
Posted by: brenda | August 06, 2006 at 03:49 PM
hey there mamas,
as a fellow mother as well as staff at tour, i have to thank you as well for the comments.
my initial reaction of course was also one of, "c'mon, give brenda a break!"... i'm glad it 's all been cleared up.
i am always proud to know that we can offer a space for moms to spoil themselves a bit (for proper indulgence... try the chocolate batter dark chocolate and raspberry!! to DIE for) AND a place that kids can congregate and play freely and without eye rolling.
brenda is an outstanding woman and mama and i'm proud both to know her and work with her. her vision for this place is inspired and it's been fun and will be fun to watch it come to life.
as a fellow mommy entrepeneur, i commend her and the rest of you for sticking it out.
Posted by: amy | August 06, 2006 at 06:37 PM
Sending a "shout out" of support to Brenda as well. We have been once and had a fantastic time, it's quirky, cute, the food is delicious and Brenda is a hoot.
Posted by: Monica | August 06, 2006 at 09:27 PM
I just wanted to say 'thank you' to the mamas out there who shared (and continue to share!) their thoughts on Tour and more. My mamahood has made me uber-planner type, so I appreciate heads up on the bathroom situation, Kat, and I also appreciate the low-down follow-up, Brenda. Helps me plan accordingly. My girls and I will be in soon, Brenda, and hopefully we'll get to meetcha!
Posted by: olivia | August 07, 2006 at 02:50 PM
Well, let's see . . . we've covered the decadent food, the mama-friendly atmosphere, Brenda being "a hoot" (which she is), the sandbox and other kid stuff, and more. Let me just add, this woman (Brenda) is one of my best friends on the planet and you couldn't find a greater gem of a person to befriend (or, more likely, to be befriended by). If good karma counts for anything, you'll want to head over to Tour de Crepes! All mamapreneurs deserve our support, but this one especially. All those who ever had a good experience at the NE Urban Grind, had one because of THIS woman (a former UG owner), who made it her personal mission to make it a kid-friendly place.
By the way, don't try the chocolate crepe with the custard filling unless you want to risk sounding like Meg Ryan eating her salad in "When Harry Met Sally." I'm just saying.
Posted by: ShariMac | August 07, 2006 at 05:50 PM
hey, i really didn't mean the bathroom thing as a slam, honest! it's just when you're potty training and the kid says "i gotta go!" anything that's different than the norm can send you into a panic. it's true, it isn't a big deal, as long as you know where to go! :) and i may be wrong about the coffee, i was very, very pregnant when we were there.
we thought the food was great! but it doesn't jive with our diet, unfortunately. brenda, will you ever have gluten-free crepes and perhaps use goat milk or dairy free fillings? i saw someone at the hollywood farmer's market was doing gluten free but didn't get a chance to try them. she said they make them with potato, rice and tapioca flour.
glad your business is doing so well!
Posted by: Kat | August 07, 2006 at 07:28 PM
I'm living in flordia past 18yrs. trying to find someone to marry me so my would change. now I find I'm not alone at all.
Posted by: Brenda J. Drain | July 08, 2007 at 12:29 PM