HELENA — A downtown Helena staple will have a new owner when it reopens its doors in February.
Melissa Hiltunen has owned a vanilla bean cafe and bakery for 18 years and is expanding her pastry portfolio by becoming the new owner of the Creperie in downtown Helena.
The Creperie is known for serving up classic sweet and savory French crepes, coffee, and more.
Hiltunen is no stranger to the Creperie as she worked at the shop for former owner Jeff Spurlin, part of her motivations to take the wanted to take over.
“I worked for Jeff when I was having kids. I kind of needed an extra little job, a reason to leave the house. And so I went to work with Jeff at the Creperie and just had a blast doing it; I love the product, Jeff is great and well respected in the community, and when he said it was time for him to stop, I just asked him if he'd be interested in me buying it," said Hiltunen.
For Hiltunen, being part of the local business community on the Gulch is an honor.
"In general, the menu is loved the way it is, so I don't plan on changing it much. I might add some specials, a little twist on things. I'm just excited to be Downtown and keep on his traditions and keep a business that I think is great," she told MTN.
While the menu should be just like patrons remember it, Hiltunen aims to extend hours of operation with a plan to stay open an extra hour. The Creperie plans to be open sometime in February but has yet to be set.
