Fare includes crepes, macarons and frozen, to-go French specialty dishes 

NORTHAMPTON—French-born Jean-Luc Wittner and his wife, Evelyn Darling, will open a second location of their restaurant, Suzette French Creperie & Café, on the first floor of Thornes Marketplace in mid-November.

Because they will not offer coffee in their Northampton shop, it will be named Suzette French Creperie, but the fare will nearly mirror the popular offerings in their Worcester café—crepes, macarons and frozen to-go French delicacies such as Beef Bourguignon, Chicken Blanquette, Riesling Chicken or Navarin D’agneau, which is lamb ragout.

“What makes our success is we have savory and sweet, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options,” said Wittner, a self-taught chef with a deep respect for Julia Child and a passion for creating delicacies. “We also focus on quality and convenience. Our offerings resonate with a broad range of customers, from those seeking a quick snack to those in search of gourmet meals.”

Wittner and Darling live in Worcester and opened their business there in 2020, navigating and surviving both the pandemic and slow, weekday demand. Wittner’s two sons bolster the team and will be critical as the business expands to a second location in Northampton.

Clement “Clem” Wittner is the general manager in Worcester, and Marc Wittner is chef de cuisine; Wittner senior will work in Northampton full time, at least at the start. 

Wittner said he and Darling are excited about opening a second restaurant in Thornes. “We fell in love with Thornes Marketplace—the look of it, the tenants there. It’s like a small family business,” he said. “That’s who we are. That place is us.”

Suzette French Creperie gets its name from the classic recipe Crepes Suzette. Wittner gets his passion for cooking from his French mother and grandmother, who were always creating. That seed grew while he was working as a sales manager in France, and colleagues gathered for meals.

“They were cooking incredible dishes, and I thought, ‘If they can do it, I can do it too.’”

Wittner came to the United States in 2011 and worked in the hospitality industry for the first time, both as a server and in the kitchen. “I wanted to learn how food service works in America,” he said, adding that he had always longed to be his own boss.

When he met Darling, the two realized they could combine their skillsets—his in operations and hers in business management—and create the business of their dreams. “We are very complementary,” he said, adding, “This is not the American dream. It’s my dream, in America. I like that people are enjoying my food.”

Wittner finds—and tailors—recipes online and in the cookbooks that line his bookshelf, and he also finds recipes and techniques on YouTube. He is proud to have mastered the creation of French macarons, which his shop sells in 10 different flavors. 

“Usually, I’m humble, but the more time goes on, the less humble I am because of the feedback of the customers,” Wittner said with a chuckle.

Suzette French Creperie will be located in Suite 130 in Thornes, likely best recalled as a former flower kiosk. The business will not sell alcohol and will keep the same hours as Thornes Marketplace.

“We couldn’t be more pleased that Suzette French Creperie will be joining Thornes in November,” Marketing Manager Jody Doele said. “Jean-Luc and Evelyn have a well-established operation in Worcester, and we know that they will please the palates of many in downtown Northampton.”

To learn more about Suzette French Creperie, visit suzettecreperie.com.

To learn more about Thornes Marketplace, visit thornesmarketplace.com.

Thornes Marketplace has been the cornerstone of downtown Northampton and at the center of the Main Street shopping district for more than a century. Built in 1873, it holds 55,000 square feet of space for merchants and includes features like pressed tin ceilings and hardwood floors.

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