A new Sofi's Crepes is opening Thursday (Bastille Day) at 11 a.m. in the Valley Village Shopping Center, at 9123 Reisterstown Road, Owings Mills.
Ann Costlow's original Sofi's Crepes opened next to the Everyman Theatre around the turn of the century. Costlow also owns the location on the lower level of the Woman's Industrial Exchange.
As is the Sofi's in Annapolis, which is owned by Stephanie Hans, the Owings Mills store is a franchise operation. The owner of the new Sofi's is Nina Knocke.
Knocke doesn't have a restaurant background. She spent her adult work life in the financial services industry. Then she got cancer. It went away, and, then it came back. Then, Knocke got laid off last June. Then she got better again, but didn't go back to her old career.
Knocke is a fan of the Everyman Theater, which is how she became a fan of Sofi's, which is how she came to see Costlow's notice about Sofi's franchise opportunities.
"If I was going to work like a dog, I didn't want to make the world's richest three percent plan their retirement. I wanted to do something good for the community."
A few of Knocke's friends will be playing live jazz music throughout the day on Thursday.