Our Instructors: Donna Hesik

Inspired by French "Fast Food"

Donna is a member of the Les Dames d'Escoffier and is President of the Downtown Wheaton Association. She has also been a consultant for various other restaurants in the Chicago Area.

Donna's love for all things French began in 1996 on her first trip to France. Traveling with a group from Chez Madeleine's Cooking School to Southwestern France, that trip opened up the exciting world of French Cuisine and the Arte of the Table. Paris was also a part of that trip, and after seeing the street vendors selling crepes, Donna began to think about introducing this wonderful French "fast food" to the American palate.

In 1997 she opened Suzette's Creperie as a custom-designed crepe cart selling crepes at summer festivals and venues in the western suburbs. During the summer of 1999, three days a week, she was a guest of Mayor Daley's office at the Ethnic Foods of the Neighborhood and the Chicago City Green Market located on State Street next to the Chicago Theatre.

Suzette's is Born

After this experience Hesik realized she wanted to open a restaurant, and in July, 2000, she left the rough and tumble world of advertising and opened her doors at 211 W. Front Street in Historic Downtown Wheaton. That store front started with eight tables that seated twenty-five people.

Fast forward fifteen years, Suzette’s now occupies three store fronts, has a beautiful garden patio in the summer, has consistently been awarded the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine for the past ten years and is beloved by her many customers ranging from the very young to 102 years old!

She has now opened Suzette's L'École to share her love of cooking with students—so that they, too, may be inspired and delighted by culinary techniques, creativity and fun!

Our full list of instructors

Call us at: 630.462.0898 to sign up for a class, or for more information.