Meet Jacque Belobraydic | Full Time Kindergarten Teacher of 35 years and Planet of the Crepes Co-Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacque Belobraydic and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacque, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Background re: Planet of The Crepes: The Food Truck was started in 2010 by Jessica Krauss. She had a vision, pursued it, and hit Tucson being consistently rated among Tucson’s Best Food Trucks since its conception. Bailey and Makenzie worked with Jessica for many years. The Nottingham family purchased the business in May 2016. Bailey and Makenzie ran it with brother Bennett while continuing to make amazing fresh crepes just as Jessica did and using her incredible recipes with fresh/organic ingredients. When the dreaded ‘C’ word (COVID) hit in March 2020 EVERYTHING was shut down. The trailer sat unused until things started to re-open. November 15, 2020 a new family, the Belobraydic’s re-opened it. Making quality food and customer service the NUMBER 1 priority, the recipes remain and the focus of HIGH QUALITY, FRESH made-to-order crepes continues. The Belobraydic’s son Jack was starting college and needed a way to pay for tuition. The Belobraydics could have taken out a loan for Jack’s college, but instead made the decision to put money into the crepe trailer to help Jack and other college-bound young adults cover tuition. Jack is in the Eller College of Business majoring in Business Management. He is hoping to open Planet of the Crepe trailers to service all of Arizona once he graduates in May 2024. He enjoys making customers’ taste buds HAPPY and going to the people – at Farmers’ Markets.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What I want the world to know about the history/backstory of Planet of the Crepes – The universe works in a special way. . . . .Jessica Krauss (the creator and original owner of Planet of the Crepes) allowed me to be her son, Jack’s kindergarten teacher long before I ever knew what a crepe was. Jessica was starting her crepe trailer business, making a name for her food trailer while I was teaching her son how to be successful in class with his kindergarten classmates. I had no idea and never dreamed Jessica and I would cross paths years after her son left my kindergarten classroom. Diana Nottingham is my kindergarten teaching partner at Tanque Verde Elementary School. When Diana told me she was purchasing the Crepe Trailer from Jessica Krauss, my former student Jack’s mom, for her son Bailey and his girlfriend to work during their college years, I still was unsure what a ‘Planet of the Crepe’ product was. Four years later, Diana let me know this crepe trailer was how her boys (Bailey and Bennett) worked their way through college with friend Makenzie. Diana and Brian felt now that Jack was entering college he needed to take it over (with my assistance) so that we could continue serving this delicious product and sharing the legacy it had created. Jack and I were very hesitant, but we never looked back or regretted our decision for one minute! Jack has learned lessons on how to manage peers, increase sales and excel at being a young business owner. We love our customers and couldn’t be happier. We are so glad this incredible business has assisted three families in many positive ways!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The agenda would definitely have Heirloom Farmer Markets on it! Planet of the Crepes food trailer sets up on Saturday mornings at Heirloom’s Steam Pump Ranch Farmers Market in Oro Valley EVERY Saturday. We follow Market hours, 9am-1pm (Winter Hours). Market hours will be changing, 8am-12pm in April.
We would also visit the Heirloom Market at Rillito Race Track (River Rd/First Ave) as this market is HUGE! Planet of the Crepes is set up EVERY SUNDAY at this market. Because this market is so massive, we tell our customers to ALWAYS ORDER FIRST, then walk the market as wait times can become longer due to our popularity. Our customers don’t mind and tell us ‘It is soooooo worth the wait!’ Again, following Market hours, BUT due to the Rillito Race Track Horse races going on until April, Market hours have been altered. Hours presently are 8:30 am-12:30 pm to assist with parking and lessening the parking lot congestion while the races are in progress. Summer hours will be 8 am-12pm in April. Tucson is full of amazing places to visit, but the Farmers’ Markets have a plethora of vendors with a huge variety of items, something for everyone!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We (Jack and Jacque Belobraydic) want to dedicate our Shoutout to Diana and Brian Nottingham. Diana and Brian took a chance on an up-and-coming Eller Business School kid and his kindergarten teacher mom by allowing us to take over and re-open Planet of the Crepes. The Nottinghams worked out a business plan to help get Jack and me into the trailer and continue to carry on the incredible tasting crepes Jessica Krauss started and Bailey (Nottingham) and Makenzie continued to serve. Diana and Brian allowed us, the Belobraydics, to then pay it forward by assisting other college-bound kids to work their way through school. Diana and Brian have given young adults the ability to gain invaluable work experience they may not have ever acquired. These young entrepreneurs will graduate and enter the ‘real world’ with actual ‘real world’ experience. These young adults will not be intimidated by hard work and will know how to always offer the BEST CUSTOMER Service possible while producing a high-quality product.

Website: www.planetofthecrepes.com

Instagram: planetofthecrepestucson

Facebook: Planet of the Crepes Tucson

Image Credits
Planet of the Crepes