Tandem creperie puts a French spin on southern hospitality
Carlee Colvard, Assistant Editor
Photos courtesy of Ashlyn Lindholm and Carlee Colvard.
It’s all about hospitality in the South and that’s just what the owners of Tandem Creperie and Coffeehouse were aspiring to give when they opened this unique and creative joint in the heart of downtown Travelers Rest.
When I walked in the eclectic little restaurant furnished with innovative decor and accents of bright yellow, I was not sure exactly what I would be devouring for dinner that night. And yes, I said devouring because that’s an accurate way to describe how I consumed a crepe the size of my face.
In fact, I shamelessly admit that after my first time visiting Tandem, I went back the very next day.
Tandem’s menu offers a variety of sweet crepes, such as one stuffed with chocolate and caramel, and savory crepes, like the Mediterranean, as well as waffles and high quality coffee.
Brad and Kristen Hartman pose for a photo in front of Tandem’s menu. See the light bulb above his head? His brilliant idea was Tandem.
The owners, Brad and Kristen Hartman, have an evident passion for what they do. In all actuality, I was a little intimidated about interviewing Kristen Hartman because she and her husband have reached a level of coolness that I have yet to attain. Let’s be honest. You’re kind of cool if you have an Instagram picture of a crepe, but you’ll never be as cool as these crepe masters.
Hartman said, “We love hospitality and specialty food. We started to love high quality coffee and thought we’d put it together.”
It all started when she and her husband determined to make their love of people and food into a restaurant.
Hartman said, “We dreamed up Tandem four or five years ago and we just practiced making coffee and crepes. We would have friends over at our house and make crepes for them.”
Ashlyn Lindholm, student at North Greenville, said, “It’s a great place to hang out and meet friends. So far my favorite thing on the menu is the blueberry crepe. It has blueberries and cinnamon and is a great mixture of flavors.”
So the question is, why are you still sitting there reading this article? You should be on your way to Tandem right now.
