We had the good fortune of connecting with Sona Guloyan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sona, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Growing up I always wanted to pursue entrepreneurship but really had no clue where or how to start. After finishing college I was working at Wells Fargo as a banker. A family member/mentor who I looked up too one day asked me what I wanted to do with my life. It brought back an idea I had in my head for years about taking my grandmothers recipe and opening a Crepe Café in my home town of Pasadena. After months of research and much support from my family, I decided to leave my job and open my Crepe Café, and Crepe Studio was born.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What really sets us apart from most is our unique Estonian family recipe along with our excellent customer service which has been and still is our number one priority.
Hard work, dedication and never giving up is what has gotten Crepe Studio to where it is today. I pride myself in always innovating our brand, product and services provided. Times change and we are always ready to pivot, learn and grown.
One of the biggest challenges was when COVID 19 shut us down and left us, along with many restaurants, lost and confused what was going to happen next. With the help of family, friends and my network I made a choice of pivoting to full time catering and no longer having a store front. This gave me my biggest lesson in business, that change is good and when one door closes another door will always open. It thought me not to be afraid of change, set a goal and to keep my eye on the prize.
I want people to recognize Crepe Studio not just as a business but as a family oriented brand that wants to share the love, joy and sweetness crepes can bring.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Pasadena is a city with variety and there is something for everyone. I would highly recommend spending a day in Old Town where you can find all sort of foods, I would do lunch at True Foods and dinner at Santorini.
For my outdoorsy people I would suggest an early morning run/walk around the Rose Bowl and if you are lucky, attend a sports game or concert in the evening.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate it to both my mom and dad who have been my support system from day one. My dad was there on day one helping me paint, build and put together my entire store front. The first year of business it was literally my mom and I doing it all, she would show up day in day out and till this day she is a big part of Crepe Studio.

Instagram: crepestudio_catering

Facebook: Crepe Studio

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