The Bruxie phenomenon
There’s a retail unit on the end of a row in a local mall that’s had no luck over the years. Restaurants of all types and ethnicities have opened, struggled for a few months and then abandoned this forlorn, out-the-way corner in Rancho Santa Margarita.
That was until Bruxie made an appearance.
In the few months since Bruxie opened for business that desolate corner has been transformed. It is buzzing with life. Inside it’s packed. Outside there are lines of people waiting to get their hands on a Bruxie. What is happening is phenomenal.
A Bruxie is a “gourmet waffle sandwich”. Not the kind of sweet waffle that passes for breakfast with berries and syrup. It’s rethinking the waffle as bread, or a crepe, or pita, or tortilla, if you like. Everything arrives on a thin crispy waffle, folded like a sandwich.
Why Bruxie? According to its website, owners Dean Simon and Philippe Caupain got their inspiration from the street vendors and homemade waffles during a business trip to Brussels. Bruxie is derived from Bruxelles, the French spelling of Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the waffle capital of the world.
Bruxie is epitome of American inventive genius – the perfect marriage of an original, crispy, friendly name for an original, crispy, friendly food idea that is tasty and cheap. Please just drop the pretensions – the umlaut in the logo and the word “ gourmet” are trying too hard.
Currently there are three Bruxie locations, all in southern California – Orange, Brea and Rancho Santa Margarita.
Expect to see one near you in the not too distant future.
Apart from being a great name for a dog, this will probably work nicely in the USA. Take the old world’s lemons and make lemonade! That’s the American way – genius.
Names for dogs is a subject worthy of more consideration. Bailey is a popular name around here. There are lots of Baileys for some reason. Cody, too.
My first association was bruxism, the medical term for teeth-grinding. Ow!
I’m not familiar with that term Nancy, but it could be said that there is a sort of appropriate connection there.