“Every crêperie has its own recipe and way of doing things, and in France we say there are as many crêpes recipes as there are churches!”
Settled into the entrance at The Wharf Mooloolaba – Flo’s Creperie set up shop at The Wharf in September 2022 and has quickly made their mark as a favourite amongst locals and tourists alike.
‘Serious about all things crepes’, the team goes above and beyond with their creativity to deliver some truly top-notch crepes. Nailing the classics with that traditional French flair – their menu spans sweet, savoury, seafood and vegetarian options, sure to satisfy every taste bud.
Their Wharf storefront is the team’s second establishment – also operating out of their flagship store in Noosa, whose popularity made the business’ expansion to two restaurants a no-brainer.
The story of Flo’s is one of our favourites, and we recently sat down with Michelle & Flo to learn more about the origin of Flo’s, their move to Mooloolaba – and all things crepes (and galettes!)
Meet Florian & Michelle – Owners & Creatives behind Flo’s Creperie!
Hi Michelle & Flo! Can you please tell us the origin story of ‘Flo’s Creperie?’
Being from Bretagne, the region in France where crêpes come from, Flo grew up eating crêpes every week. For those who don’t know, crêpes are a huge part of French culture, eaten mainly for dinner as people don’t usually go out for breakfast in France. In Flo’s town, eating crêpes once a week for dinner was pretty standard.
From a very young age, Flo was obsessed with crêpes and always looked for the best ones around his hometown, La Baule.
When Flo was 17, he attended hospitality school in France for five years, where he learned all the essentials, including front of house, cheffing, waitering, accounting and more. He then moved to the UK to extend his hospitality knowledge before coming to Australia, where he met Michelle.
Realising there were no crêperies in Australia, and with Flo’s knowledge and passion, it made so much sense to open one.
We started selling crêpes with a market stand to test the product, see how everyone liked it, and to make sure we could work well together as a team!
We then went on to establish four crêperies in Sydney, but after a while, we wanted a change. We had been coming to Noosa on holidays for years and had friends living here; every time we visited, we never wanted to leave. So, we sold and moved to beautiful Noosa, starting Flo’s in September 2021.
What attracted you to The Wharf Mooloolaba and the Sunshine Coast for the second home for Flo’s?
We love the vibe and feel of the Wharf – it feels like non-stop holidays.
Has your coastal affinity and connection to the ocean influenced the menu at Flo’s at all?
We love the ocean, water sports, mountains and nature. We’re inspired by the seasons. We’re always looking around to get new ideas and take our products to the next level – every time we go out, we’re looking for inspiration.
Flo is from Bretagne, the birthplace of Crepes – was it an obvious choice to bring this French coast delight to the East Coast of Australia?
We’ve been making crêpes for 15 years, and we love it, even after all this time. We’re obsessed with making the perfect crêpe!
What elements of Flo’s have you worked to keep authentic to the Bretagne experience?
We wanted to put our own spin on the traditional French crêperie and create a modern coastal vibe that suits our customers and locations. One of the most authentic aspects of Flo’s is definitely our galettes – we use a traditional Bretagne recipe and stay true to the humble origins of the dish.
Can you please explain the difference between a galette and a crepe for any newbies?
A galette is a savoury crêpe! They contain buckwheat flour which is naturally gluten-free, so you don’t feel too full or bloated afterwards. If you’ve never had a galette before, you may think they look a bit ‘burnt’, but, in actual fact, they should be dark and crispy – just like the best bits of a toastie.
Your menu is fantastic as it highlights the versatility of crepes as a dining option – from sweet, vegetarian, savoury and even gluten-free options. Do you have any personal favourites on the menu?
Merci! For sweets, we love the salted caramel as it reminds us of Flo’s home. And we are really proud of our Flo’s Salted Caramel sauce – it’s a recipe Flo worked on and perfected for many years. It’s very popular among our regulars.
We also love our Take Me Back, with chocolate, whipped cream and ice cream, as it’s a crêpe Flo ate a lot when he was young.
For the savoury crêpes, nothing beats seafood. We love our galettes with prawns – we get them from Tin Can Bay, delivered from the fisherman himself, and we love that we can share this great product on our plates – they are juicy and delicious, pan-fried with garlic and parsley sauce.
For someone new to crepes – what would you suggest they try first from the menu?
Difficult one! It depends on your taste. We have something for everyone at Flo’s – from traditional options to the Aussie styles, to vegetarian, vegan and monthly specials.
Outside of Flo’s – what parts of Mooloolaba have you grown to love?
The surf at Alex, the lovely people and the chilled lifestyle.
If you could set up Flo’s third Storefront at an International destination – where would you choose, and why?
In Flo’s hometown of La Baule, or in the French Alps, to give us another reason to go back every year!
What’s next for Flo’s, and where can we find you?
What’s next? We plan to look after our two crêperies, teams and customers – and continue to enjoy the ride!
Flo’s Creperie is a family business, steadily growing and becoming heavily endorsed by visitors to The Wharf. Open 7 days a week – for breakfast, lunch and dinner; the team are working tirelessly to deliver incredible food and beverages, and prove – there’s always time for crepes… (galettes)
Find them online:
www.floscreperie.com
instagram.com/flos_creperie
facebook.com/floscreperie
