Hospital Units Child's Play for Au Bon Pain

FM Staff

The Au Bon Pain cafe chain, which is owned by Compass Group, will open its two newest locations this month in the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY, one in the Center's main building and one in its new Maria Fareri Children's Hospital facility.

Maria Fareri was designed to give patients and their families with a child friendly environment, including touches like “TheWorld's Largest Doll House,” an interactive baseball exhibit, a handicappedaccessible fire truck cab, an art studio and a train museum located inside a real-life locomotive.

To fit the facility's family-centric design, the Au Bon Pain unit— located at the entrance to the train museum—will feature train murals, bookshelves filled with train-related children's books, childsize furniture, and activity zones. The menu will offer special kids' items like chicken nuggets, ice pops and kid-sized cookies.

Maria Fareri is not Au Bon Pain's first children's hospital client. It also has units in facilities such as Children's Hospital Boston and Goryeb Children's Center in Morristown, N.J. Later this year, it will add the University of Chicago Hospitals' new Comer Children's Hospital as well.

Several of these locations will soon feature Au Bon Pain's new Kids Nutrition Kiosk. The first is being installed at the Children's Hospital Boston this month.

Developed jointly with the Boston Children's Museum, the interactive kiosk is designed for kids aged 4 to 9 and is filled with games that teach the benefits of healthy food choices. Adults patronizing the cafe can access Au Bon Pain's Nutrition Kiosk system, which provides complete nutrition information for every menu item.