On a Thursday afternoon, just after 2 p.m., downtown Elizabethtown is a bustling hub of energy as the working people take a lunch break and students are let out from school. Between the Etown Record Lounge and the brick mural on 11 S. Market Street, the creperie and cafe Piccola Stella beams with cherry-red heart chains and green wreaths. Inside, owner Tammy Cocchini cooks away. A table of elementary schoolers is served apple juice boxes and Nutella and fruit crepes. Several adults wait in line to purchase gift-cards or pick up to-go orders. The kids are smiling, the atmosphere is bright and Cocchini greets each of her guests by name, and warmly if meeting someone for the first time.
Valentine’s Day arrived about two months after the Crepe and Panini cafe’s soft opening on Dec. 20 2024, and a month after their grand opening in January 2025. Cocchini originally lived with her family in New York City and worked at home as a film archivist. When operations moved to Canada prior to the COVID-19 epidemic, Cocchini decided to part ways with the company and use the severance check to move to Pennsylvania and open a new cafe in Elizabethtown with her family, which includes twin daughters.
The idea for a creperie and cafe came to Cocchini from her experience working in a creperie kitchen in college and the time she was able to spend in Paris, France as a student. Her experiences with the fresh and affordable street food of Europe stuck around as she became a mother.
“I have always loved preparing fresh food, but especially now with little kids of my own I get so sick of fast food,” Cocchini said. “With crepes and paninis, I can provide cheap, elevated street food for families and college age students who are on the go or on a budget.”
Elevated is accurate, but the cafe is downright classy, even. Downtown’s newest orange-hued spot features a menu that features both savory and sweet crepes, ranging from simple powdered sugar pastries to ham, mozzarella and spinach Caprese crepes. The menu also features paninis and a range of caffeine-free teas to accompany your entree. The most popular order is the classic Strawberry Nutella crepe, according to Cocchini, but she herself recommends the Apple Butter flavor. Other than the delicious pastries, Piccola Stella features a shelf of merch, including a strawberry crepe-scented perfume, and bracelets made by local artist Chloe’s Fancy Accessories. On the walls hang a vintage map of Paris and various European plates and paintings.
“We seemed to have caught the tail end of this business boom in Elizabethtown,” Cocchini said. “And so far it has been such a welcoming and tight-knit business community!”
This year, the cafe plans to expand their outdoor seating and potentially begin live music events. Cocchini is also quick to plug their 15% discount for Etown college students and faculty. It seems Piccolo Stella, or “Little Star,” is the newest shining gem of downtown.
