By the time NorCal Crepe House opened its Bowling Green restaurant on Friday, the business that began as a food truck in June 2025 had grown to roughly 25 employees, many hired from south-central Kentucky, WNKY reported. Owned by Josh and Tanya Grom, the restaurant serves California-inspired crepes that depart from traditional French-style combinations.
The business began on wheels, according to WNKY, which reported that the food truck launched in June 2025 before the Groms expanded into a sit-down restaurant. WNKY places the restaurant on Nashville Road in Bowling Green, while a listing on Roadtrippers gives the address as 760 Campbell Lane. Available reporting does not resolve the discrepancy.
The name NorCal refers to Josh Grom’s northern California roots, and the menu reflects that influence. In the WNKY report, Grom described the crepes as different from the traditional French style many diners might expect.
From Family Kitchen to 25 Employees
Staffing has grown from a family-only operation to a team of more than 20, with the owners estimating the total at about 25, according to WNKY. The Groms said they aim to hire locally and use local vendors where possible, keeping more of the business’s activity in the community.
Josh Grom said the restaurant can offer some workers an entry point into employment. Tanya Grom described the community’s response to the opening as overwhelmingly positive, according to the report.
A Family Recipe With Personal Roots
The menu also draws on the family’s experience at home. Grom said his autistic daughter’s dietary needs led him to develop a crepe she would eat, and that recipe became one of the restaurant’s offerings. The Groms have described turning a family food tradition into a business.
Part of a Broader Food Truck Trend
NorCal Crepe House’s move from truck to storefront has a local precedent. Bowling Green’s Vistro – Vegan and Vegetarian Fare also grew from a food truck into a restaurant, which the Talisman reported was the city’s first vegan restaurant. A Louisville food truck owner made a similar shift to a brick-and-mortar space, WAVE 3 News reported.
A local precedent and business resource
The Bowling Green Daily News reported April 1, 2025, that Vistro opened its brick-and-mortar location at 937 College St. on March 17. The report offers another example of a local food truck becoming a storefront. For entrepreneurs considering a business in the region, the Kentucky Small Business Development Center says its Bowling Green office provides no-cost one-on-one coaching to existing and prospective South Central Kentucky business owners. Its listing does not say whether NorCal Crepe House used the service.
For now, NorCal Crepe House is focused on its new space and the staff that's filled it out since Friday's opening. With a growing team pulled from across the region and a menu rooted in a family's own story, the Groms say the early community reception has matched the ambition behind the expansion.
