Crave Cafe Catering and Chocolates
Location: 921 E. Hammond St., Sequim
Cafe phone: 808-4799
Catering contact: 360-440-3548
E-mail: cravecaters1@gmail.com
Although Crave Cafe Catering and Chocolates opened six weeks ago in the Shipley Center, 921 E. Hammond St., the cozy restaurant is not just for its membership of seniors.
Owner Janis Kelley welcomes anyone who appreciates fresh, healthy and homemade food.
Kelley, who has more than a decade in the food business, said, “I’ve designed the menu to meet the variety of customers’ needs, both flavor-wise and dietary, so I use a lot of fresh herbs and not a lot of salt. I choose to make everything from scratch and I keep away from preservatives. I also use seasoning from other countries. I’ll be honest — my heart really is with seniors.”
Kelley continues to successfully run The Tea Room at Port Gamble as she has for the past 10 years and said she came to Sequim because she had so many Sequim customers coming to The Tea Room and figured there would be a niche for her here.
Regarding her food style, Kelley said, “I know customers eat with their eyes first so I make sure the food is visually pleasing and has that ‘Wow!’ factor when it comes to the table. I use a lot of organic products, fresh vegetables and as few canned things as possible.”
In addition to a wonderful meal, customers may be treated to Kelley breaking into song, another passion of this self-described passionate woman with a deep alto voice.
“It’s not uncommon for me to be singing to customers and I sing anything that’s very old, from the 1920s-1940s — customers eat that up — any song with heart.”
The cafe is open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday serving breakfast all day and lunch from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Don’t expect run of the mill breakfast fare from Kelley’s kitchen — offerings include a bacon, egg and cheddar waffle sandwich, cheesy hashbrown casserole, quiche with apples, sausage and cheddar, plus three types of egg scrambles.
For lunch, some of the favorites have been an in-house made crabcake sandwich, roast beef sandwich with a hearty au jus, roast pork tenderloin with Kelley’s signature peach and apricot barbecue sauce, and her Oriental chicken salad, with wonton strips, almonds, mandarin oranges and Oriental dressing. Check the dessert board for the day’s delectables or take some of Kelley’s homemade milk or dark chocolate truffles to go.
“I make the truffles myself and I’m self-taught in chocolate making,” Kelley said, explaining that a lot of art and science goes into producing the rich truffles.
Kelley also has plans to expand to include early bird dinners from 4-6 p.m. beginning Sept. 11 and offering a high tea at 1 p.m. Tuesdays with three types of finger sandwiches, scones, chocolate truffles, cookies, jam and Devonshire cream.
She also plans Halloween and Veterans Day dinners, plus will start chocolate-making classes in September. Already on the schedule from 3-5 p.m. Sept. 12 is a fun dessert social she’s calling “Remember the Alamode.” It will feature a dark chocolate brownie with cherry Bordeaux ice cream and a chocolate drizzle and a baked apple rose with French vanilla bean ice cream and apple brandy sauce. Chocolate lovers may think they’ve died and gone to heaven!
“The reason my food has to be so good is I want customers to have a pleasing experience visually and I want them to have the best service,” Kelley said.
“I’m hiring and training new staff here because my particular style of service is, ‘Now that you’re sitting at my table, you’re family. My true passion is service to people, making people happy.”
Kelley added, “The folks at the Shipley Center all have been so incredibly supportive and folks in Sequim, when I’m out and about, they’re very welcoming. Members of the Shipley Center receive a 20-percent discount on all dine-in menu items because it’s something I wanted to offer back to the community.
“I believe in what the Shipley Center does and I want to support it as much as possible.”
And why incorporate the word “crave” in her business name? “It’s about everything that I crave — good food, serving others, music, nature and the outdoors. I love what I do … I’m a very passionate woman.”
