Armenian entrepreneur looks to build crepe franchise in New Jersey

PanARMENIAN.Net - Moving to New Jersey from Armenia with his family when he was 7 years old and growing up in Marlboro, Mihran Sirekan exhibited quite the entrepreneurial streak, App.com says.

“I was always an ‘opportunist’ and had different jobs – from selling insurance to working at a construction company and doing some personal training,” the 28-year-old Old Bridge resident said of his various professions.

He also regularly invested in stocks, saving his money so that he’d be ready when the right business opportunity came along. Happily, the concept he was waiting for unexpectedly presented itself two years ago and halfway around the world.

“My wife Jessica and I took a two-month backpacking trip through Thailand in November 2015 and found ourselves eating a lot of smoothies and crepes, which are as popular there as hot dogs are here,” Sirekan said. “We ate crepes every day and loved them. I was ready to move onto a new venture anyway and we realized that no one was offering crepes here, so it seemed like the perfect fit.”

With Jessica’s delicious family recipe for crepes in their possession, the couple began by developing a business plan and assessing different location options.

“I started calling all of the local malls where I thought we’d succeed and Jersey Shore Premium Outlets in Tinton Falls presented the best package,” said Sirekan, whose venture, Planet Of The Crepes, opened in September 2016.

While Sirekan acknowledges that finding good employees can be challenging, he said that Planet Of The Crepes’ products are right on trend. In addition to meeting the growing demand for simple, healthy and fresh (not frozen) ingredients, “we use many organic ingredients and our crepes fall into the popular new category of iconic ‘big foods’ with unique presentations,’” he said.

With all of their plates and utensils made of eco-friendly palm tree leaves and wood, the company prides itself on its sustainable practices, and in a give-back to the country where their venture was first inspired, Planet Of The Crepes is an official sponsor of the Gift of Happiness Foundation, a charity in Thailand which provides essential educational and medical supplies as well as entertainment for children in need.

“Our second location is currently underway at Freehold Raceway Mall and we’re hoping to become a franchise – we’d love to see Planet Of The Crepes outlets nationwide and customers taking selfies with our crepes and special crepe holders,” he said.