Sofi's Crepes Restaurant Opens at Valley Village Shopping Center

Nina Knoche was “working like a dog” in the financial services industry 15 months ago when the thought crossed her mind she’d like to own a restaurant.

It was March 2010 when she first met with Sofi’s Crepes founder Ann Costlow – who left a job in finance herself about a decade ago to start the business – to explore the idea of buying a restaurant franchise.

A few months later, when Knoche was laid off, her fantasy was forced to become reality.

After a year of work, Knoche opened the fourth Sofi’s Crepes restaurant in the Baltimore area Thursday afternoon in the Valley Village Shopping Center in Owings Mills, marked by a ribbon cutting arranged by the Reisterstown-Owings Mills-Glyndon Chamber of Commerce.

“I love crepes,” said Knoche of the French dish made using a thin pancake wrapper and a variety of fillings. “It’s fun, you’re feeding people…It’s good food, quick.”

Nearly one dozen people were present for the ribbon cutting. Afterward, they went inside to enjoy a few of the restaurant’s offerings, which included hearty lunches (BBQ pork and cheddar cheese filling) and sweet desserts (a s’more crepe is chocolate, melted marshmallows & graham cracker crumbs).

Knoche said she hopes the community embraces the restaurant, which she said makes food perfect for munching on at high school sports events because of its portability.

“It’s the right demographic,” for success, she said of the location.