Ravenous, a beloved downtown restaurant whose very name makes diners eager for breakfast, brunch and lunch, has changed hands gracefully over the past month. New proprietors Julie Raymond and David Zuka are eager, too, keeping everything the menu at 21 Phila St. offers and steadily making the crêperie their own.

Ravenous’s website presents the offerings:  “…a wide selection of savory and sweet crêpes for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Ravenous crêpe fillings include traditional French favorites (like ratatouille, and ham and gruyère) as well as other more creative fillings from around the world. Delectable dessert crêpes feature fresh fruit, Nutella, fromage blanc and homemade whipped cream.”

“Ravenous was our favorite restaurant in Saratoga Springs,” Raymond said.

She describes Zuka and herself as career food people. He studied hospitality management; her degree is in restaurant and hotel management, and she studied at Le Cordon Bleu. He has been everything from a restaurant dishwasher to a co-owner during 28 years in the business. She has worked in hospitality; they have also been in manufacturing and distribution.

After living in Saratoga, Raymond was transferred to New York City, where the couple stayed for a time, enduring the traffic and the craziness. Eventually, Raymond and Zuka decided they wanted to move back to Saratoga and buy their own business. They thought about starting their own restaurant from scratch. But then in September 2013, Zuka heard that a Spa City restaurant was for sale.

“We found that it was on a side street off Broadway,” Raymond said. “We wondered if it could be Esperanto’s or Beverly’s. When David signed a confidentiality agreement and knew which restaurant it was, he texted me: ‘Ravenous!’ We were so excited.”

Raymond is French Canadian, and crêpes are among the most diverse and delicious of French dishes. It was a good fit. The enthusiastic new owners closed Jan. 2 and opened their Ravenous Jan. 3.

Former owners Lauren Wickizer and Francesco D’Amico were pleased to pass the torch to Raymond and Zuka, said the new proprietor. The two couples worked together for a month to ensure a smooth transition.

“Lauren and Francesco want us to shine,” Raymond said.

The week of Feb. 3 was Raymond and Zuka’s and first week on their own.

Zuka and she have kept the menu, the service and the décor exactly the same for the present; they plan to gradually add their own dishes rather than take away from the popular menu. While she handles the front of the house – accounting and marking – Zuka oversees the back – cooking. They plan the menus together.

“David says he and I are climbing on a moving horse, which is a good metaphor for Saratoga,” Raymond said, laughing. “The public expectations and the pressure to perform have made our beginning a baptism by fire. But we’re doing very well. Winter is a perfect time to learn the business before the summer rush.”

Call 581-0560 or visit info@ravenouscrepes.com for hours and menus.

--Jennie