Press

For parents and grandparents, the thought of taking children out to eat usually leads in one of two directions: the nearest McDonald's or the kids' menu at a familiar chain restaurant. While these options are tried and true, rarely does healthy or nutritious food enter into the equation — that's usually relegated to the kitchen table at home. But now there's a new kid on the block: Bean Sprouts, a healthy kids' café in Middleton.

 

Owner Shannon Seip and her business partner Kelly Parthen are both mothers, so they came by their inspiration naturally. “The first thing we realized is that there's nowhere to get fresh baby food,” says Seip. Sure, there's always homemade, but who has time for that between diaper changes and dropping the older kids off at summer camp or soccer practice? Second, “there's nowhere to eat for kids that's both healthy and fun.” While it may not seem possible for those two terms to coexist, Seip and Parthen think they've found the right formula for success.

 

What started with an innovative inspiration took some hard work to get off the ground. They did everything from learning about small businesses to taste-testing recipes to enlisting the help of chef Gale Gand and child nutritionist Mary Marcus for menu input. They also found a local chef who was up to the challenge of cooking creative kids' cuisine. The result is a hip, fresh place for parents to take their kids where they can get fun food that's good for them. “We're putting a healthy twist on what kids like to eat,” says Seip.

 

A burger, for instance, becomes healthier by substituting ground turkey for ground beef, and adding ground veggies into the patty for nutritional value. And pureed beans snuck into a cookie will put some substance into a snack usually lacking in nutrition. For smaller kids, the café will offer organic baby food for sale, as well as deliver it throughout Dane County , “like the milkman,” says Seip.

 

Other touches include a bright, engaging color scheme, an entrance that has both adult- and child-sized doors, a “fort” area for eating in cozy comfort, stylish high chairs and a variety of toys and activities. And because the partners feel it's important for kids to see parents eating the same foods as they do in order to develop a taste for a variety of foods as well as healthy eating habits, Bean Sprouts will offer their food to adults as well.

 

 

As for location, after looking in downtown Madison , the partners chose Middleton because, “it seems the community is open to the idea, is health conscious and likes natural foods,” says Seip. As a bonus, they were able to have parking out front. So if parents have sleeping kids in the car, they'll be able to utilize the café's curbside service — items are delivered to you — without having to wake them up.

 

With an eye to the future, Seip and Parthen — who met while studying journalism at UW-Madison — are considering another location in Madison or in Parthen's home base of Colorado Springs. But first and foremost, their goals are happy, healthy kids, satisfied parents, and tasty recipes that are good and good for you. Now that's a real happy meal.

 

Bean Sprouts opened in July and is located at 6719 Frank Lloyd Wright Ave. in Middleton. Call (608) 826-6986 for more information.