Jeff Kraus of Crêpe Bar
Jeff Kraus of Crêpe Bar in Tempe is one of Arizona’s most vibrant and innovative chefs. After being inspired by Parisian street food, Jeff opened a mobile food service, Truckin’ Good Food. With a mission to Serve the Streets Responsibly, he sprouted a fan base and was named one of the country’s “most influential food trucks” by the Huffington Post. Now Jeff is the chef and owner of Crêpe Bar, maybe the best breakfast restaurant in Tempe. Crêpe Bar focuses on scratch made breakfast food using local produce with a major French influence.
Growing Up
Growing up outside of St. Louis, Jeff Kraus was always an energetic person. Jeff’s mom, Barb, was the center of his family. Despite not being wealthy, Barb always worked hard and put food on the table, while pushing Jeff to adopt the same values. The family was always cooking meals at home, where Jeff had to choose between helping to prepare the food or cleaning it up. After hundreds and hundreds of meals, Jeff learned much of the cooking basics, including how to use fresh ingredients from the garden. As Jeff learned the ways of the kitchen, he developed a genuine love for crafting food.
Tragedy Turned Inspiration
Tragically, when Jeff was just a freshman in high school, his mother passed away. Feeling out of place, Jeff left highschool to search for his calling in life. He shuffled through a variety of jobs, while circling back to school and earning a bachelor’s degree along the way. Part of Jeff’s revisit to formal education included a stint in culinary school. The cut-throat “white hat” chef culture didn’t resonate with Jeff, and so he drifted away from his lifelong passion for cooking. It wasn’t until years later that an experience with Parisian street food changed Chef Kraus’ life. Shortly after those fateful meals in Paris and Nice, Jeff had drafted a menu for a mobile restaurant to be named Truckin’ Good Food.
Truckin’ Good Food
Eventually Kraus opened Truckin’ Good Food through a series of popups. After launching, Chef Kraus and his food truck quickly built a reputation. At one point, Chef Kraus and several other street food vendors grouped together to lobby for more suitable regulation in the industry. Jeff is known as the godfather of food trucks here in Arizona, in part because of his work with the legislature. Chef Kraus was also a major part in forming the Phoenix Street Food Coalition. The PSFC helps to provide street food vendors with education, advocacy, and promotion. In 2012, Jeff rebranded his business and transitioned to a brick-and-mortar location. The new business would be named Crêpe Bar.
Opening Crêpe Bar in Tempe
When Chef Kraus transitioned from his food truck to Crêpe Bar, he truly just expanded his vision. Like his food truck, Crêpe Bar was still inspired by Jeff’s experience with Parisian street food, but the new evolution was a culmination of so much more. Jeff says that his restaurant reflects the trips he took to France, but also his mother, mentors, friends, family, and anyone else who has helped him along the way. From Crêpe Bar’s breakfast focus to the prevalent use of local produce, the restaurant evokes memories of Jeff’s journey starting back when he was preparing homegrown vegetables. Just about everything on the menu at Crêpe Bar is scratch made using locally sourced ingredients, like those from Rhiba Farms. Serving all varieties of crepes, coffee, and so many more breakfast bites Crêpe Bar is a must visit in Tempe. The casual atmosphere makes for the perfect place to have lunch with a friend or to just to pop in and get some work done on your laptop. Aside from the fresh-cooked offerings coming out of the Crepe Bar kitchen, Chef Kraus also has a line of packaged products for people to bring home. Currently, Crêpe Bar sells their signature granola blend, a tangy hot sauce, and a few other retail items.
Recently, Chef Kraus competed on “Vegas Chef Prizefight”, the prime-time Food Network show. Jeff’s quirky, charming personality was on full display as he became a quick favorite of host Anne Burrell. Although he finished runner-up to Lamar Moore in the last episode, Jeff had a tremendous showing and helped shine a light on Arizona cuisine.
Be sure to follow Crêpe Bar on Instagram and Facebook and Chef Kraus. Check out his website and stop by sometime for some breakfast!
