About Us
Long described as “a student union for adults,” Cafe Patachou is an award-winning Cafe located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Customers can expect a world class breakfast and lunch experience that includes dishes prepared with premium ingredients from scratch and to-order, a commitment to sourcing local and often organic products, refreshingly personal yet professional service by a well-trained team, and Cafe environments that are vibrant and alive. Bound by these principles since opening in 1989, Cafe Patachou has garnered local, regional and national accolades, including having been named one of the "Top Ten Places for Breakfast in the Country" by Bon Appetit Magazine. There are now seven Cafe Patachou locations serving made-to-order omelettes, salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts, spreading the love to Indianapolis residents and visitors alike.
A Founder's Story
Martha Hoover founded a successful collection of restaurants in Indianapolis, Indiana —Café Patachou, Petite Chou Bistro & Champagne Bar, and Napolese Pizzeria. Founded in 1989, Hoover used premium ingredients, prepared from scratch, and partnered with local vendors and farmers — years before the phrase “farm to table” was first uttered.
In 2013, Martha Hoover founded A Longer Table (formerly The Patachou Foundation) with one clear goal: ensure more children in Indianapolis had access to fresh, nourishing food. Over the past decade, that goal has grown into a citywide effort to reimagine school food and invest in youth leadership. The organization has now served more than one million scratch-made meals, launched Next Course Cafeterias to help schools transform how they serve food, and created the Food Fellowship, a paid career training program that prepares high school students for the food system of tomorrow.
In 2020, Hoover was nominated for Restaurateur of the Year by the James Beard Foundation for the sixth time; Food and Wine named her “One of The Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink”, Eater named her “Empire Builder of the Year”, Vogue Magazine profiled her and the company for their sustainability practices, and InStyle Magazine named her to their list of “50 Badass Women”. Additionally, Bar One Fourteen was named one of the Best Bars in the US by Esquire Magazine, Café Patachou was named one of Restaurant Hospitality’s Top 25 Coolest Concepts, and Patachou Inc. was named among “19 great restaurants in the US to work for” by Food and Wine.