Interview with Amela Abdallah of CoCo Crepes Waffles & Coffee - Kingwood

As part of our ongoing "Getting to Know Your Local Businesses" series, this week we sat down with Amela Abdallah, owner of CoCo Crepes Waffles & Coffee.

We serve breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner or dessert 7 days a week. We open at 6:30 am for the early bird in search of caffeine, including specialty teas, lattes, gourmet espresso, coffees or soft drinks, along with fresh pastries on the go.

We close late on the weekends for the night owl looking for a fresh, made-to-order sweet treat (like the S'mores or White Chocolate Raspberry crepes).
Many have thought we only offer breakfast items. They are quite surprised that we serve a variety of fresh fruit smoothies, soups, salads, savory gourmet paninis (like the Chicken & Roasted Vegetables or the Mediterranean), omelets, savory crepes (like the Spinach & Ricotta), savory waffles (like the Tuscan), pancakes, along with house-made gelato and sorbet. Our full menu is served all day.
Although our shop's build-out was delayed after Hurricane Harvey hit, we made a commitment to build in Kingwood and joined with our community to help our neighbors rebuild. We opened May 14, 2018.

How did you decide to get involved in this line of work?
My husband, Ahmad, and I always used to discuss owning our business. We began looking for a franchise that we would absolutely love running every day and with the help of our family we decided to join the CoCo revolution.
Our family, including my brother-in-law and sister-in-law (also co-owners), Ayden, our son who is 7, and Amira, our daughter who is 4, also love coming to the shop. 
Born in Bosnia, I came to Houston in 1996. I consider Houston my forever home.

Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your business. What are you known for? What separates you from the competition?
We're focused on hiring people in the Kingwood area and are very proud to be in this community where everyone has helped each other rebuild.
Depending upon what people feel like at a given time, we can customize our crepe fillings, with savory to sweet ingredients, enabling them to eat them as a meal or a snack at any time of the day.

I love to visit with our customers! When they comment that they feel as if they are walking comfortably into my home, I'm the happiest. 
Whether young people are meeting up to study or business owners are stopping to use our free Wi-Fi or families are enjoying an outing or someone has a savory or sweet craving, we look forward to serving them our newest concoctions each day.

Who is your ideal customer/client? Who do you serve best?  Any person who is fueled by the foodie revolution and wants to satisfy their sweet or savory cravings without breaking the bank. We offer a casual, counter-service setting that's convenient for everyone.

Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?
Each month, we showcase either an exciting new sweet or savory crepe, based on seasonal and regional ingredients. For a sweet treat, the berry Crème Brulee crepe has been extremely popular. For a savory treat, the Chicken Artichoke is a customer favorite.
Monday through Friday, those who mention this article can receive a free medium house coffee ($2.27 value) with the purchase of a crepe, panini or waffle.  We also have a daily happy hour form 3-6 pm with discounted selections.
Visit our website to view our menu of beverages, soup, salad, panini, crepe, waffle and many other selections and learn more about our founder, Chef Youssef Nafaa. To send a message to one of our team members, read reviews from our customers,  watch our videos or find out which savory or sweet crepe is featured this month, visit our Facebook page. 

How do you see your business growing and improving over the next couple of years?
We will continue to bring the taste of Paris with the love of Rome to Kingwood!
During the school year, we have frequently supported spirit nights. We have plans to start giving back to the schools consistently all year long.
To learn more about CoCo Crepes Waffles & Coffee, visit our profile at Kingwood.com.