Our Story
by KT founder, Elena Marre

The inspiration for The Kids’ Table came from my experience in raising my two boys, Jake and Aleks. I had always enjoyed cooking, but not necessarily with nutrition in mind. It wasn’t until I was pregnant that I started focusing on healthful eating. And when the baby food stage came along, I opted to make my own. Things were going swimmingly on the food front until my younger son hit the picky eating stage like a brick wall. I countered with pretty much every trick in the book – coaxing, cajoling, bribing, and threatening. It wasn’t pretty, and other than a few short-term victories, it didn’t work.

A different approach to my kids and food came from our preschool experience. Both Jake and Aleks went to Montessori programs, where practical life skills (including cooking) are emphasized in the curriculum. I saw how much more likely they were to eat food if they had a hand in preparing it. This realization hit me in early 2005. I had been practicing transactional tax law at a big firm in downtown Chicago – and my heart just wasn’t in it. While many of my co-workers read tax journals in their spare time, I read cooking magazines. I was becoming more and more dedicated to the idea of getting my kids to eat healthier. And wanting to share what I was learning with other families. So, I decided to merge my personal passion and my professional life.

Our adventure officially began when The Kids’ Table opened its doors in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood in February 2007. We cooked up a storm in-person for 16 years! And even opened a second location in 2015 in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. We were giving kids ownership over their food, making healthy food fun, and watching those palates and minds expand as a result. It’s amazing how often I’ve heard a child complaining about not liking red peppers, dark leafy greens or onion at the beginning of class. And so rewarding when that same child is devouring the dish at the end.

The pandemic brought us challenges and a unique opportunity. We said goodbye to our Lakeview location, and hello to the virtual world! I had been wanting to start virtual programs for a while but wasn’t sure how to go about it. We figured it out quick in the Spring of 2020. We had the privilege of cooking with kids all over the country and beyond - who knew virtual cooking could be so fun and meaningful!

We reopened our original Wicker Park location with a practically whole new team in 2021. After 2 great years of packed summer camps, fun-filled party weekends and a full schedule of after school cooking programs, I made the difficult decision to close our physical space and shift to a fully virtual model. It was a purely personal decision. As much as I love The Kids’ Table, after 16 years I wanted and needed time to pursue other passions. I looked for someone to pass the baton to, and the right person just didn’t appear. As someone reminded me, nothing lasts forever! I let go with love, and that felt great :)

I’m excited to continue The Kids’ Table journey virtually and am very open to whatever that brings. I’m incredibly grateful for every twist and turn in the journey so far, and to all the KT team members over the years who made The Kids’ Table such an amazing place. The world is what we make it. Let’s keep making it fun, healthy and delicious together!

Thanks for cooking with us,
Elena