Restaurant brings Hope and waffles to Gillette Children's in St. Paul

Time inside a hospital can become strangely elastic; hours flash by in seconds and minutes drag on for years.

One way to wrestle that time into some semblance of normalcy is to step away for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. But hospital food is rarely a treat. That's changing inside Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, the St. Paul hospital that specializes in treating children with brain, bone and movement conditions. Just inside is Hope Express, the newest venture from Sarah and chef Brian Ingram's Purpose Driven Restaurants.

It's an offshoot of the couple's original eatery, Hope Breakfast Bar, an all-day breakfast restaurant in St. Paul that has become known as a beacon of, well, hope. During the pandemic, Hope Breakfast Bar set up a temporary food shelf, handed out free dinners and collected prayer cards. It also donates 3% of all restaurant sales to their nonprofit, Give Hope MN.

Gillette's had reached out to the Ingrams when their restaurant was still new, asking them to bring some of their brand of Hope to the St. Paul hospital. The timing wasn't right for the Ingrams. But the second time's a charm.

"Hope Express is a natural fit for Gillette Children's," said Barbara Joers, president and CEO. "We are aligned in our missions to serve our community for the greater good. Together, we'll continue to improve the experience and well-being of those we serve."

Located on the fourth-floor skyway level, the counter-service cafe is geared toward bringing smiles to those who work there as well as to the families seeking care. The menu includes a few familiar Hope Breakfast Bar drinks, like a cold press coffee that's mixed with a banana milk or a latte perked up with cracked black pepper and maple syrup, as well as hearty and healthful food options such as fruit-topped oatmeal and salads.

But there's also over-the-top decadence, like frosting-topped waffles and gooey monkey bread sandwiches. The sweet treats are tailored to kids who might need something special. "Someone asked if we could serve doughnuts because after kids receive their last treatments, doughnuts are a really special treat," said Sarah Ingram. "I was like, yeah, we can get doughnuts."

Like other Hope restaurants, people can fill out and drop prayer requests in a box. And there's an easy way to pay a meal forward by purchasing a gift card and hanging it in a doorway, where anyone in need can grab one.

The Hope Express concept is ready for replication. "We'd love to be in more hospitals," said Brian Ingram, who, with Sarah, is constantly planning their next moves.

The couple's fast-growing Purpose Driven Restaurant group has expanded to include The Gnome in St. Paul's Cathedral Hill and a second Hope Breakfast Bar in the Shops at West End in St. Louis Park. Two new restaurants are also slated to open later this year: Apostle Supper Club in both St. Paul and Duluth.