Famed Aspen chef and restaurateur Mawa McQueen is bringing her undeniable passion for food to Boulder.
Later this summer, McQueen is set to open Crepe Therapy Café at 2273 31st St., Suite 140. It’s an expanded and renamed version of Crepe Shack, the successful creperie McQueen established in Aspen and Snowmass.
Located on the ground floor of the Boulder Commons mixed-use development, Crepe Therapy Café will be an all-day eatery dishing up French comfort food with a wellness-forward twist.
“I believe a good meal has the power to nourish not just your body, but your spirit,” says McQueen, who was a James Beard award semifinalist in 2022. “This is more than a café—it’s a space for connection, comfort, and care. Whether you stop in for a crepe or linger over coffee, we want every visit to feel like a moment of joy.”
McQueen was born in Ivory Coast, the small West African country that was a French colony until its independence in 1960. At the age of 12, McQueen’s family relocated to Paris—but she always dreamed of settling down in America.
So, she enrolled in culinary school and perfected her English while working as an au pair in England. She made the move across the Atlantic to work at the White Barn Inn Restaurant and sister eatery Stripers Waterside Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine, where she got to know the Bush family.
During winters, she worked at the Little Nell in Aspen, where she eventually settled permanently. She worked as a private chef before opening her first brick-and-mortar restaurant—Mawa’s Kitchen—in Aspen in 2012.
In 2018, she expanded into Snowmass Base Village by opening the Crepe Shack, which quickly became a fan favorite with its creative sweet and savory crêpes (including some featuring upscale ingredients like caviar and foie gras).
She opened a second Crepe Shack location in downtown Aspen in 2023. During the pandemic, she also launched Mawa’s GrainFreeNola, an organic snack brand making five gluten-free, vegan flavors of granola.
Now, she’s venturing out yet again—this time to Boulder. At Crepe Therapy Café, McQueen hopes to emphasize the power of being seen, feeling welcoming and enjoying food that feeds the body and soul. To that end, the decor will be soothing and modern, featuring sky blue and sage green walls with warm honey gold and deep navy accents. The space will also boast timeless white and black details.
The wellness-forward menu will feature signature crepes, like the smoked salmon and Nutella strawberry, as well as exclusive options available only in Boulder.
The café will also offer locally roasted artisan coffee and espresso drinks, organic loose-leaf teas, cold-pressed juices and smoothies, S. Pellegrino sparkling beverages, a curated selection of French pastries and Mawa’s GrainFreeNola. Gluten-free options will also be available, as well as a full vegan menu.
“My French roots are at the heart of everything I create,” says McQueen. “From the elegance of a well-crafted crêpe to the art of slowing down over coffee and pastries, Crepe Therapy Café is a love letter to the rituals and flavors of my culture—elevated with a modern, nourishing twist.”
And McQueen is far from done. After she opens the new Boulder café, she’s eyeing an expansion into Denver, and possibly another location near the University of Colorado Boulder’s campus.
Crepe Therapy Café will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting in late summer 2025.
