About

About the Restaurant

To bring the time-honored art of French crêpe making to Philadelphia, owners Jim Caiola and David Salama have designed and created one of the city’s most beautiful bistros. Caiola and Salama imported flat, round, cast-iron crêpe griddles from Brittany to perfectly prepare the light, flavorful crêpes. Customary crêpe cooking utensils are also used. Onlookers may watch the cooking process through large picture windows facing Bainbridge Street.

At Beau Monde, Caiola and Salama bring the crêperie to a new level of distinction. They have researched this project in other American cities, including New York and San Francisco, where crêperies are tremendously successful. In Chicago, Caiola’s aunt and uncle have operated a crêperie since 1972.

Both are accomplished artists. Caiola is well known as an independent filmmaker, and has also worked on television shows for the Discovery Channel and PBS. He has a degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management from the reputable Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island. Salama, a native Bolivian who speaks five languages, has lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe and South America. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Design from Philadelphia’s Tyler School of Art. As a painter, Salama was commissioned by famous city planner Edmund Bacon to paint the compass over City Hall’s courtyard.

In 2014, Caiola and Salama rebuilt and reopened the iconic Tavern on the Green in New York City’s Central Park with much acclaim.