Anna has brought Armenia’s love of pancakes to Southampton with her decades-old family recipes

For Anna Copper, owner of Stakks Pancake House in Southampton, her business journey so far has always been a natural extension of her upbringing in Armenia.

“Pancakes are a huge part of Armenian culture – we usually have them with most meals”, she explained.

“My mum would make us crepes every morning and our daughters have been brought up having sweet and savoury pancakes on a daily basis.

“My children were the inspiration behind Stakks. Southampton has an incredible choice of restaurants, but my girls always wanted pancakes whenever we dined out.

“This made me wonder why there weren’t more pancake houses in the city.”

It wasn’t just the great food, but also the culture that Anna wanted to share with the local community.

And so, she got to work carving out a little corner of her home country in the middle of Southampton.

“In Armenia, family is the centre of everything”, she said.

“Traditionally we pride ourselves on looking after the young and old. Whenever it’s dinner time, everybody goes out together.

“That’s when the idea of creating a family-oriented venue centered around pancakes came to mind.”

Since then, the restaurant has gone from strength to strength, with Anna proudly proclaiming that Stakks flips more than 10,000 pancakes each month.

Placed side-by-side, that’s enough to cover a distance of 2.4 miles – which would take you from Marlands Shopping Centre all the way to the north end of Southampton Common.

“Marlands has been our home for eight years and they’ve been amazing”, said Anna.

“Supporting the local economy is one of our top priorities, and we partner with many local businesses from our food and beverage suppliers to our maintenance and restaurant technology providers.

“We’re proud of the success we’ve had here and have some exciting plans for growth in the future – so watch this space!”

One group just as excited about those future prospects is GO! Southampton, the city’s Business Improvement District.

Around half of the 60 businesses at Marlands pay levies to the group, including big names like Moss Bros, Neds Noodle Bar and the Sea Life Play Centre.

Stephen Manion, Chief Executive of GO! Southampton, added: “We’re thrilled that Stakks is creating a buzz in Southampton.

“They’re a prime example of the diverse choice of cuisine that we offer in this vibrant city, which will no doubt attract visitors from far and wide.

“It’s hugely important to support independent businesses, who do a remarkable job in encouraging footfall to the city and supporting local employment and suppliers.

“They play a vital part in keeping the city’s economy strong.”

Stakks is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm, and Sunday from 10am to 5pm.

Anna and her team serve up a whole range of fresh pancakes, including American-style and traditional crepes, with gluten free, dairy free and vegan options available.

• To find out more, visit stakks.co.uk