Kindred Roots Cafe Offers Food, Drinks, and a Family-Friendly Community Space

By Justin Tiemeyer || contributing writer

4/10/2024

Kindred Roots Cafe has been open on Depot Street in Alto since December of 2023, but they are already beginning the second year of their lease. This is because of the nine months it took to build-out the location into what co-owners, Ashlee and Ted Watson, envisioned for the community. The gestational metaphor is not lost on Ashlee. “It was our second child,” Ashlee said.

Ashlee and Ted moved to Alto originally for their first child. Ashlee was pregnant, and the couple was interested in a rural development loan. They had spent nearly fifteen years living and working (more on that shortly) in downtown Grand Rapids, but both were originally from small towns. “We had honestly never heard of Alto before we saw our house,” Ashlee said.

The Watsons lived in a development of about 100 houses, but with a new baby in tow, they struggled with meeting people. They could go to Alto Bar, or the American Legion with an invite, but neither of those scenes was geared toward playdates with other children. The Watsons ended up spending a lot of time at the library before creating their own community space in town.

The idea of opening their own place was always an end-goal for Ashlee and Ted. The couple had worked together at Brick Road Pizza Co., in Eastown, for ten years. Ted managed the kitchen, and he was in charge of the pizzeria’s innovative and delicious menu. Ashlee worked front of house.

“We met in a kitchen,” Ashlee said. “We fell in love in a kitchen. We knew we liked each other enough to work in a kitchen together.”

Seeing Ashlee and Ted at Kindred Roots Cafe is like seeing creatures in their natural habitat. Ted seems like he could make delicious, decadent dishes with anything you put in front of him; a small oven, a hot plate, or even a magnifying glass and some tinder. He is just that calm and confident in the kitchen. Ashlee, on the other hand, seems empowered by having her own space. She is simultaneously at home and lighting up her workplace with her bright, shining smile.

During Kindred Roots Cafe’s long build-out, the Watsons had an opportunity to meet a number of community members. In a small town, there is more impetus placed upon a business to earn the right to take up space and do commerce. “It was a lot of a hope and a prayer,” Ashlee said.

As people walked by and asked questions, the Watsons felt incredibly welcomed by the Alto community, and a number of people expressed the same desire for a community space, especially one where parents with children could meet up. In particular, the Alto branch of the Kent District Library was a vocal supporter of Kindred Roots Cafe.

Kindred Roots offers typical cafe fare like coffee, lattes, and chai’s. They source their coffee from Littlefoot Coffee Roasters in Grandville.

“The food menu is slowly coming along,” Ashlee said. “There are a handful of menu items people go crazy for.” One of those items is Ted’s cinnamon rolls. Ted has had to come to the shop overnight to bake, just because they have been selling through their stock during the day. The chicken salad croissants are also popular, and Ted has been experimenting with specials. He makes a number of things from scratch, from the flavored syrups for the coffee to soups and other entrees.

Since the entire reason for Kindred Roots Cafe was to create a kid-friendly, family-friendly meeting space, the Watsons have a kids corner in the back of the cafe with toys and games. Additionally, the furniture and decorations are often eclectic antique pieces that draw the eyes of curious children.

Kindred Roots Cafe hosts a number of fun community events like Coffee and Canvas painting classes, glass crafting, and soup-flight tastings. Ashlee reported that there is also a family group of 11-20 people who meets in their kids corner every Saturday. “The community has really showed up for us,” Ashlee said.

Ashlee and Ted’s son, Edison, refers to Kindred Roots Cafe as the family’s “working house.” The fact that Edison feels comfortable spending long hours in this space is all the proof-of-concept Ashlee and Ted could ask for. He is well-known in the community now, and he often assumes the role of owner, visiting and chatting with customers, like he’s Sylvester Stallone at Planet Hollywood.

Located at 11567 Depot Street in Alto, Kindred Roots Cafe is currently open Monday through Friday, from 8 am - 4 pm, and Saturday, from 9 am - 2 pm. Ashlee noted that there may be some changes to their spring hours as they welcome warmer weather. Any, and all, updates will be listed on the cafe’s Facebook page, @Kindredrootscafe.