Creperie Opens in Riverwest
Seven Swans Creperie debuted its sweet and savory crepe menu, featuring seasonal ingredients to complement the spring weather.
Site of Seven Swans Creperie, 808 E. Chambers St. Photo taken Feb. 13, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
After a winter of hard preparation, Seven Swans Creperie has officially opened in Riverwest.
The cafe, 808 E. Chambers St., quietly began its soft opening on Saturday, April 22, offering fresh crepes and a cozy ambiance to fortunate passersby who stumbled upon the newly-opened business.
A smiling Kate Bryan, owner of the business, took orders at the counter while the kitchen crew ferried plates of sweet and savory-filled crepes throughout the dining area.
Despite the hail storm that accompanied its debut, the cafe’s opening menu offers a welcome taste of spring, incorporating seasonal ingredients such as rhubarb and microgreens.
In October, the Kansas City-based business announced plans to open its second location in Milwaukee.
The new location marks a homecoming for Bryan, a Milwaukee native, as well as the continuation of a life-long goal. As a college student in Portland, Bryan said she frequented the local creperies and dreamed of opening her own one day.
“They were always my favorite place to be,” she told Urban Milwaukee in October.
That dream became a reality when Bryan opened Seven Swans in 2017 as a food truck in Kansas City. But she was forced to rethink the business after suffering several bouts of heatstroke. Though the mobile operation was no longer feasible, Bryan was able to relocate the business to a brick-and-mortar location in Kansas City, which remains open today.
Ahead of the late-April opening, Bryan and her family members spent several months transforming the interior and exterior of the Milwaukee building, which was formerly the site of Dino’s Riverwest. The exterior brick is now painted a deep, forest green, while a front-facing window features a decal of the Seven Swans logo.
Inside, the restaurant is an explosion of color, with fresh flowers adorning every table, mismatched chairs and patchwork wallpaper in the main dining area.
In addition to its seasonal specials, Seven Swans offers a fixed menu of tried and true favorites. Savory crepe benedict is a flattened version of the classic, featuring crepes in lieu of English muffins and topped with honey ham, roasted asparagus, spinach, hollandaise and two sunny-side-up eggs.
On the sweeter side, the clean crepe incorporates lavender lemon curd, whipped cream, fresh berries and candied lemon, while Paris comes with Nutella, strawberries, bananas, honey, roasted almonds and house-made whipped cream.
There’s also a Milwaukee-themed option, which features caramelized sauerkraut, spiced sausage and beer cheese.
Aside from crepes, Seven Swans offers a rotating assortment of pastries, oatmeal and a granola parfait. Beverages include brewed coffee and cold brew, Rishi tea, orange juice, lemonade, iced tea, sparkling water and soda. Espresso drinks are coming soon.
Seven Swans is currently open Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The cafe plans to host a grand opening in the coming weeks. For updates and more information, visit Seven Swans Creperie on Instagram.
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