Street Fare

You no longer have to go on Language Study Abroad to get a little taste of France — just walk down Main Street in Hanover to where Tica Lyons '81 sells her crêpes. Lyons joined the street vendors of Hanover this past summer, adding her crepe selection to the Chinese cuisine, the hot dogs, and other culinary offerings.

Why crepes? "They seem exotic and elegant, yet they're wholesome and simple to make," explained Lyons. "They're very versatile." Egg and cheese, strawberry, and chocolate mint are a few favorites.

"You can only get crepes in a fancy restaurant in the U.S.," said Lyons, but in France crepes are common fare. Lyons experimented with this "common fare," discovering that the way to get people to open up was "through the stomach."

Lyons took this part-time job for fun. "I thought it would be great to be self- employed," she said. "It's very flexible when you're in school." But she does have a problem. "I'm always asking myself for raises." She and her brother built the crepe a la cart" cart from a garden cart. "You have to entertain people," she explained. When she goes out to sell for two to three hours a day, she dons a smock, an apron, and a straw hat.

The whole enterprise has been a learning experience, particularly the business aspect: First she had to obtain a state permit; then to operate on South Main Street, she must obtain one of six permits issued daily in Hanover; to set up in front of the town hall, she must get one of two permits.

Lyons believes that she and her competitors fill a real need in Hanover, for restaurants cannot accommodate the entire lunch crowd. "There's a little camaraderie among the vendors," she added. "We're all in the same situation because of regulations." She has found that some of these regulations — such as the New Hampshire health codes — are obscure and difficult to locate in print.

She has also learned about pricing. Crepes cost 75¢ this summer, but due to the escalating cost of food, there may be a price rise: "It's on the horizon." Lyons would like to start selling crepe ticket books and to do some more private catering.

Overall, she has found the business rewarding and relaxing, saying, "The most important thing is being an independent businessperson and getting my hands dirty." She also points proudly to the concept. "It's important to have taken something from the drawing board and to have found confidence that some idea I dreamt up worked."

Lyons now has larger dreams. Her eyes lit up as she speculated, "I'd like to franchise the idea."