Please join us for our January Lunch and Learn!

Featured Speaker: Martha Hoover, Owner, Patachou, Inc.

As former public sector lawyer — sex crimes and domestic violence cases — Patachou Inc. owner Martha Hoover was not overwhelmed by the risk of the undertaking. It was excellent, if unorthodox, training for the restaurant business. Having never waited tables, cooked professionally or in any way worked in a restaurant, she has created a successful group of dining establishments—Cafes Patachou, Petite Chou by Patachou and Napolese, an Artisanal Pizzeria. The restaurants reflect her lifelong passion for food and ingredients of excellent quality, as well as a special joie de vie. All three concepts are cherished neighborhood restaurants, serving dishes made with the highest quality ingredients in the freshest preparation methods possible. The walls are filled with art, music floats above the buzz of the diners and an urban energy reverberates that is the direct result of her vision.

When Hoover opened Café Patachou, her goal was to prepare the best "simple" food using high quality ingredients. This was quite a novel approach in 1989. Vendors said that it was a mistake for Hoover to roast her own meat and make homemade bread because cheaper, yet inferior, alternatives were available. The standard in the local industry deemed that strict quality standards were not necessary for success in the Indianapolis market. However, customers immediately noted the difference in quality between Café Patachou and other restaurants — and that has been the key to the success of the entire company. Hoover is a hands-on owner who is truly active in the business assuring the adherence to exacting standards and attention to every detail.

Hoover lives in Indianapolis, Indiana is married to John Hoover. They have five beautiful children, two of whom are dogs.

Please note new location for event:

Capri Ristorante
2602 Ruth Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46240