For the two Mifflin County natives, the similarities might end there.

Gisewhite works full-time at the crêperie and has an extensive culinary background. He is a graduate of the Virginia Culinary Institute and has held various food service management positions.

On the other hand, Wert owns and operates a constable company and works as a therapist. He has food service experience through working at Sheetz, where the pair first met as employees in 2009.

“The main reason we opened a French crêperie was because we wanted to offer something new and unique to Lewistown … something beyond fast food, Chinese and pizza,” Gisewhite explained. “I’ve lost track of how many customers have thanked us for offering something different … beyond the same old, same old.”

Photo courtesy of JUNIATA RIVER VALLEY VISITORS BUREAU
Stop in and you’ll see a crepe spun right in front of your face, allowing you to watch the process.

This is actually the second incarnation of Holy Crepe. Gisewhite opened the original crêperie in 2021 at the top of the hill on Valley Street in Lewistown.

However, Gisewhite made the difficult decision to close the business due to what he described as never-ending road construction which made it difficult for customers to access the location. Despite closing up the shop, he always kept the notion of re-opening the business in a better location.

Eventually, Gisewhite saw the vacancy at its current location — 27 W. Market St. available for lease at the end of September 2024.

“We had been talking about getting into business together for a while by that point, specifically a restaurant or small café,” said Gisewhite, who described Wert as not only an equal business partner but a best friend.

Gisewhite pitched the idea to Wert about reestablishing the crêperie at the prospective location. As the crêperie already had a strong following from its previous spot on Valley Street, Wert agreed and the men signed the lease on Oct. 1, 2024.

Photo courtesy of JUNIATA RIVER VALLEY VISITORS BUREAU
A s’mores crepe with chocolate drizzle (left) sits on a table with a berries ’n cream crepe.

While Gisewhite handles the customer-facing side of the business, Wert does the behind-the-scenes paperwork and helps out from time to time in the crêperie for special events.

“This plays to our strengths,” Wert said. “Shawn is definitely the culinary expert but hates dealing with the paperwork and immensely enjoys passing that job onto me.”

Gisewhite quipped with a chuckle, “Curtis is a major numbers nerd and takes pride in his very detailed spreadsheets. For us, as a team, it just works.”

The two men love their new location because it allows them to be a part of the heartbeat of Lewistown, which is the downtown area.

“We have good foot traffic and are able to participate in community events, such as Ice Fest, concerts at the Embassy Theatre, parades, etc.,” Gisewhite said. “We are strong supporters of revamping the downtown, and we are honored to be a part of those endeavors. As natives to the area, we are proud of this community and want to do our part to help it succeed.”

Business so far has been good.

“Obviously any business owner will tell you they want more customers,” Gisewhite added. “We stay pretty steady throughout the week and super busy on weekends. On First Friday in downtown Lewistown we usually have a line out the door.”

They’ve also formed bonds with many of the other downtown merchants and truly appreciate their support.

Holy Crepe offers French crepes for breakfast and lunch that are made to order. Stop in and you’ll see them spun right in front of your face, allowing you to watch the process. “Kids, especially, find this interesting to watch,” Gisewhite explained.

Holy Crepe also offers freshly fried Beignets as well as basic hot and cold beverages. 

As far as what the future holds, the owners are currently working on building a food trailer, which will enable them to take the crêperie on the road.

“We’ve had many requests for us to attend fairs and events as well as cater weddings, bridal showers, birthday parties, etc.,” Gisewhite said. “Having the food trailer will allow us to not only grow the business, but take our crêperie beyond Mifflin County.”

There is talk of opening additional locations in the future.