Yoly and Angel Figueredo opened Chica Rosa Creperie and Cafe at the end of January at 9903 Gulf Coast Main St., G-117, in south Fort Myers, next to Amore Brick Oven Pizza.
The creperie cafe with all pink decor offers a variety of sweet and savory crepes, flatbreads and an assortment of beverages from coffee-based drinks and milkshakes to an array of mimosas.
Chica Rosa currently offers a simpler menu, preparing to launch the permanent, extended menu within the next few weeks.
Figueredo said the menu will have more specialties, more cocktails, more open-face sandwich options, dessert towers and brunch.
“It’s going to be a bigger menu,” she said. “I want to say starting in April.”
Proud Cuban Yoly Figueredo was born in Russia, where she was first introduced to crepes as blinis, or Russian crepes.
“My mom went to study in Russia and she met my dad,” Figueredo said. “They’re both Cubans who started in the same university. Then, they had me and moved back to Cuba a year after I was born.”
Figueredo said her mother brought back a lot of the cooking style she experienced while in Russia. She grew up making crepes every Sunday, which started a long-lasting family tradition.
“You don’t see that in Cuba,” she said. “That’s not something that they serve anywhere, but my whole family knows how to make them and it’s just something that we cherish.”
After Figueredo’s family immigrated to the U.S. in 2001, Figueredo said she remembers seeing a creperie stand at the mall and telling her mother she’d like to open a creperie one day.
Figueredo made her dream a reality with the help of her husband. “He was my push to follow my dreams,” she said. “We’re so in tune with each other. We’ve been together for 15 years. We created this, and it’s just such a blessing to be able to do that with your family.”
The Figueredos also own the Cubans Be Like restaurant on South Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers, with Chica Rosa paying homage to their Latin roots yet again.
Combining a family tradition with her heritage can be seen throughout the menu, starting with the Dulce and Gabbana crepe with dulce de leche, vanilla custard, ice cream and whipped cream topped with powdered sugar and dulce de leche crumbles.
A salteado steak crepe is also available, made with steak, green and red peppers, caramelized onions, sour cream and roasted pepper salsa.
A create-your-own-crepe option also is available, starting with the regular house crepe, whole wheat or a gluten free base and building on from there.
As for coffee, Chica Rosa uses Café Bustelo as the base for its hot and cold coffee beverages.
“It’s part of the essence of Chica Rosa, being that it’s a Latin-style coffee,” Figueredo said. “It just pairs really well and is a stronger coffee.”
Figueredo’s family is woven into the look and spirit of the cafe, with pink representing her daughter and honoring her mother-in-law.
“It’s just very special for us women, I think,” she said. “This is for everyone, but I just wanted a space for us to be able to be us and feel comfortable and just have a good time.”
Chica Rosa is currently open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. Seating is about 25 indoors and 18 outdoors, and Chica Rosa operates as walk-in only and does not accept parties larger than eight.
Reservations will be available in the future, as well as extended opening days to seven days a week once the new menu is implemented.
