eat.crêpe.love.
After months of preparation and renovations, eat.crêpe.love. opened for business in February 2024 inside of Acola Coffee. Partnering with Acola owners Nick and Autumn McKague, eat.crêpe.love. complements the pre-established coffeehouse environment, offering made-from-scratch crepes in sweet and savory varieties to satisfy any customer’s cravings.
Owners Tiff Walker and Carla Kessell started off on a smaller scale with a Jefferson City-based mobile creperie, converted from a used hot dog cart. That business endeavor was established to supplement their family income — more specifically, to set aside extra funds for their three teenage children during what Carla describes as “the most expensive times of their lives.” Since then, eat.crêpe.love. has continued to grow, developing a menu with seasonally featured ingredients and gaining a following from loyal customers.
In November 2023, Acola and eat.crêpe.love. made the strategic decision to unite the brands, and now operate under the umbrella of “Millard Family Companies,” along with Millard Family Chapels, owned by Reid Millard.
“We want to be the place for community events and meetings,” Carla says, “and a warm environment for the students at our surrounding colleges to meet friends and study.” Guests are encouraged to explore the inviting spaces Acola and eat.crêpe.love. have to offer, including outdoor seating options and an upstairs retreat.
300 N. Tenth St. | 573-447-8050 | AcolaCoffee.com
The Rest Stop
Whether you’re an avid trail-goer or just looking for a casual visit to Rocheport, The Rest Stop is the place to be in April 2024. Autumn Leitza, daughter of Vanessa Leitza (owner of The Old Neighborhood Cafe), has found a way to integrate her love of nature with the knowledge and experiences her mother has passed down to her to bring new life to the Katy Trail in this upcoming venture.
Autumn began her journey working alongside her mother on the weekends and in her free time, “listening to live music from local bands and serving home-cooked food to all the happy people.” The experience was pivotal for her, causing her to reflect on her career in social work and her overall aspirations. Realizing she’d rather be outdoors meeting people from all walks of life, she decided to pursue an opportunity that came her way in November 2023.
During that time, Autumn and Vanessa were approached by Rocheport business owners with an opportunity to develop an old jailhouse into a business that would bring excitement to Rocheport and its trail-goers.
Autumn says that The Rest Stop will serve as a one-stop-shop, with rentable bikes, grab-and-go food items — such as cold sandwiches and charcuterie from the Old Neighborhood Cafe — live music, cold drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and special events.
101. S. Central St., Rocheport, MO | 573-222-5133
