Why Small Businesses Matter
Shop small, do big things for your community
Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!
You're IT Meli-Melo Creperie and Catering!
Four questions with Marc Penvenne, founder of Meli-Melo Creperie and Catering.
Why did you start your business?
My wife and I opened Meli-Melo Creperie in 1994, a few years after relocating from Saint Barthélemy to Greenwich, Connecticut. We are originally from Brittany, France which is known for buckwheat crepes. Our goal was to create an eatery that families and friends could enjoy, something casual but special that would remind us of home. In 2013 we purchased Versailles a few doors up from Meli-Melo at 339 Greenwich Avenue. We decided to renovate and rename the restaurant and reintroduced it as Bistro V. Versailles is still used for our pastry division which was established in 1980 and is still located in town just a few streets away from Greenwich Avenue. This holiday we're featuring a Bûche de Noël, King Cake, and Foie Gras Terrine at Bistro V and Versailles patisserie.
What is your best selling product/service?
Meli-Melo means hodgepodge in France, since our menu offers a wide variety of items it's hard to pick just a few! Our chicken curry salad started out as a catering option when we laughed that decision in 2006 with Chef Nadia Ramsey. Now that this salad is on our restaurant menu it is one of our top sellers along with the French onion soup, organic egg omelets, fresh smoothies, sweet and savory crepes, and our housemade ice cream and sorbet. Everything is made from fresh, all-natural ingredients, we never add preservatives to anything we make.
How many local businesses do you use to support your business (products and services) and can you name them?
Our raw honey is made locally, we also sell Hallstein Water which was created by a family based in Greenwich. We also support local artists and regularly have them decorate our walls with their photography and paintings. We love supporting local organizations as well, we're currently partnered with Kids Helping Kids, and a percentage of proceeds from our Youth Empowerment smoothie and gift cards will be donated to this Fairfield County-based organization at the end of the year.
Have you "reimagined" your small business?
This year we launched a Grab & Go area where customers can quickly access soups, salads, sandwiches, beverages, and more. We also added outdoor dining with heaters, an all-new wine list and for the holiday season, we launched a 10% cash back on gift cards program. Local media outlets and customers have been great about helping us get the word out. We really appreciate the support of our community during these challenging times.
HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!