Need a break from making dinner? This Edwardsville café can help
Since taking ownership of Edwardsville’s Sacred Grounds Café nearly two years ago, Kate Baumgartner made a couple of key changes to help build the business.
Last year, Baumgartner released a more inclusive menu to accommodate vegans and gluten-free diners (an improvement of which I heartily approve).
Baumgartner said the menu has increased significantly.
“Our daily, everyday menu hasn’t changed much,” but there are daily specials, she said, adding that the menu now has “at least twice the amount of offerings” than it did a year and a half ago.
Baumgartner puts a lot of thought into the fare offered at Sacred Grounds. There’s an emphasis on ingredients that are locally sourced and organic to provide mouthwatering, and healthy, vittles.
“I buy all my ingredients the day of,” said Baumgartner.
For fall and winter, Baumgartner is currently working on a soup menu. Plans include a weekly soup special with a sandwich or salad to complement the soup.
The café’s latest addition is its prepared meal program.
Sacred Grounds’ School Night Meal Program provides customers with a fully prepared, healthy meal two nights a week.
(I know after a long day the last thing I want to do is make dinner. One can only eat so much Ramen or expect the significant other to fend for themself.)
“It’s definitely exciting. There’s no other program like that in town,” said Baumgartner.
The program launched last week and offers family and individual meals for Tuesday and Thursday carryout.
For now, one meal offering is available. Depending on how well the program goes, additional choices may be available later, including vegan/vegetarian and gluten-free options.
In the program’s first week, Baumgartner said people have been very receptive.
The number of available meals is currently capped at 20 orders, which is anywhere from 80-110 meals.
So be sure to place your orders for next week. You wouldn’t want to miss out.
And a new website to boot
Sacred Grounds also launched a website last week to accompany the School Night Meal Program.
The current meal option, dubbed “this week’s offerings” on the website, highlights the available meal with a description and a tasty looking photo.
The website acknowledges that it can be difficult to “leave work, go to the store, shop, prepare food, get everyone together & eat,” or to cook dinner for one person.
(Amen to all of that, I say.)
“I’ve been conceptualizing [the program] since last winter,” said Baumgartner, who felt strongly about the idea and took her time bringing it to fruition.
She acknowledged that everything costs a lot right now, including groceries. This meal program is meant to help ease some of the financial pressure on individuals and families while providing them with healthy meals.
While developing the program, Baumgartner conducted a bit of market research on the café’s Facebook page by asking followers how much it usually costs their families to dine out or to purchase groceries to provide one dinner.
The comments Baumgartner received helped her determine pricing for the dinners offered.
Pricing listed on the website ranges from $50 (four servings) to $70 (six servings). Check out the site for the breakdown.
Meals for Tuesday must be ordered, via phone, by 6 p.m. Sunday and meals for Thursday by 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
To place an order, call 618-692-4150.
About Sacred Grounds Café
Under previous ownership, Sacred Grounds Café closed in December 2020.
Baumgartner rescued the business in January 2021 and reopened the following month.
Sacred Grounds Café is located at 223 N. Main St. in Edwardsville. Hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.
For more info, call 618-692-4150 or visit sacredgroundscafe.net. Check out updates (and pics of all the great food) at facebook.com/sacredgroundscafeedwardsville.
