Charlie's Crepes in Camden County is closing its doors

Charlie’s Crepes, a popular Merchantville eatery, will close by the end of the year, according to owner Charles Koory.

Koory made the announcement on the Charlie’s Crepes Facebook page and said inconsistent sales have made it a struggle to maintain his brick-and-mortar establishment.

Charlie’s Crepes had its beginnings in 2015 as a modified hot dog cart, which he and his wife turned into a crepe stand that has regularly appeared at farmers markets in Collingswood and Westmont.

They graduated to a brick-and-mortar location in May 2018, moving to a small shopping center on the 100 block of South Centre Street in Merchantville.

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In addition to indoor seating, the site offered picnic tables in a garden setting. Signs in the front windows urged patrons to "Keep calm," and "Eat crepes!"

Koory recently shared an experience on Facebook, which illustrated what his business has gone through.

On a Wednesday, he had over $300 in sales at his shop. The very next day, sales were less than half of that, for the same offerings.

He said it “was the same, menu wise and everything else, nothing had changed, and I made just over 90 bucks,” he shared.

“So, what I want you to imagine in your 9-5 job is a fluctuating paycheck… Just imagine it. One week you may get x amount, the next week you may get xyz amount.

"'How could you live and finance that way?" he asked. "You couldn’t. So that is why, at the end of the year, we’ll cease operations."

Koory's post expressed gratitude for his customers. "And I also appreciate your patience and understanding as we move through this transitional time," he said.

Charlie's Crepes owner kept a promise to himself about his crepe business

In the Oct. 6 post, Koory said he had made a promise to himself when he started the business that if he ever hit a month where he couldn’t make rent, he would hang it up. That month happened and he had to dip into his retirement, ‘yet again’, just to make rent, he shared.

Experiences like that one brought him to the conclusion of shutting down. His tentative closing date is December 17.

“When the electric bill, and the grocery bill creeps up and up and up, and the customer visits creep down and down and down, it is a recipe for a crash,” he wrote. “For me to be sustainable, I’d need to double my prices and quadruple the amount of people coming through the door.

"I am so sorry this is the current state of affairs, and the thing that breaks my heart perhaps the most is that the unique, delicious mom and pop establishment has no place in this world.”

Koory, owned and operated both the food cart and café with his wife, Lisa Ciacciarelli Koory.

He has worked in the food industry much of his life, and he and his bride fell in love with crepes on their 2003 honeymoon to France, a previous Courier Post story said.

Community responds to the Charlie’s Crepes closure announcement

Many in the community expressed their disappointment on the Facebook page over the impending closure.

“So sorry, Charlie,” wrote Scott Wright. “RIP my favorite salmon crepe. You made some great food, and we will miss you. I hope a new opportunity presents itself soon for you."

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“Oh boo!!!!,” wrote Sandie Hopper. “I'm so sorry to hear this. Your food is amazing and the recipes you come up with are insane. I'm sorry we couldn't pull through for you.

Said Lee Ann Hopkins: “Sorry to hear this…perhaps Charlie’s Crepes Catering/food truck? For events/private parties! I get it, my business is down by 2 employees, but the heat/air/taxes/supplies are still the same.”

“I’m sorry to hear this, “ Connie Correia stated. “I understand the pain of walking away. Takes heart and guts to start and brain and guts to stop. Congratulations for making so many people happy”

Koory shared that his shop will be open breakfast and lunch hours during the week Wednesday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 1p.m. Brunch hours are expected to stay the same on weekends, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

His post urged customers to use their gift certificates "and to get your crepe on while you still can! Big love to you all, and thanks again for your continued understanding and support.”

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Charlie's Crepes will be closing in Merchantville