June 9, 2026

This piece is sponsored by Active Generations.

Enjoy a new place for breakfast or lunch while supporting nutrition for older adults as Active Generations opens Simply Good Café.

The mission-centered kitchen opens June 16 at the nonprofit’s East Campus, 5500 E. Active Generations Place. All proceeds support Active Generations’ mission to provide congregate and home-delivered meals for adults 60 and older across the Sioux Falls area.

“This is another option — both for our 60-plus diners as well as for the public — plus a way to help address food insecurity many seniors experience,” said Kaylee DeBuhr, dining operations manager, who oversees Simply Good.

Simply Good Café invites everyone to eat with a purpose. Diners can enjoy a full menu with breakfast favorites such as pancakes, French toast and breakfast sandwiches, along with lunch options such as salads, wraps, paninis, flatbread pizzas and homemade soups. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-friendly options also are available.

Regular prices range from $5 to $7 for breakfast and $6 to $10 for lunch.

 “We work hard to keep our costs low,” DeBuhr said. “Our goal is to offer high-quality food at affordable prices while creating a place where people can gather, connect and enjoy a meal. Every purchase also helps support Active Generations’ mission of serving older adults in our community.”

Fresh food with a purpose

For DeBuhr, the café combines two passions: food and serving people.

Before joining Active Generations, she spent a decade working in nursing homes and assisted living communities, along with restaurant experience at fast-casual concepts.

“I wanted to stay true to my roots of loving people and communities and that camaraderie that comes with going out to eat, having a good meal and spending time together,” she said.

The menu reflects that approach.

Many items are made from scratch, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and limiting excess sugar, sodium and processed foods.

“We know people love breakfast food, but we’re also trying to think outside the box a little bit,” DeBuhr said.

That includes twists on traditional favorites, along with flatbread pizzas that quickly have become customer favorites during the café’s soft opening.

A Mediterranean-inspired pizza and buffalo chicken pizza topped with blue cheese have sold out multiple times, she said.

While the café supports Active Generations programming, diners do not need to be members to visit.

“It’s fully open to the public,” DeBuhr said. “Anyone can come in and eat. They don’t have to be a member or part of the program. We’ll feed anyone.”

The café has been operating through a soft opening since May, giving staff a chance to test menu items and gather feedback before the grand opening.

The response has been encouraging.

“I’ve heard people tell me they’re the best pancakes they’ve ever had,” DeBuhr said. “People come back looking specifically for our pecan strawberry spinach salad. They’re really liking the marinades and flavors. It’s a fresh alternative to some of the places they might typically go.”

Some customers even are making multiple visits in a day.

“I’ve had people come for breakfast, go work out and then come back for lunch,” she said. “That’s been pretty exciting.”

Supporting a growing need

Operating under a fast-casual breakfast-and-lunch concept, Simply Good Café serves as a sustainable funding source for Active Generations’ Nutrition Program.

Funding for the program is partially reimbursed through the federal Older Americans Act Title III-C grant administered by the state.

“From the get-go, our goals for our Nutrition Program have been to provide choice for our participants and create a self-sustaining funding model to meet this mission of our nonprofit work,” said Betsy Schuster, president and CEO of Active Generations.

“This new public restaurant offering is an exciting opportunity to bring good food to our community, whether through dining in or our Nutrition Program.”

The need continues to grow.

“Since grants don’t cover all rising costs, Simply Good Café helps close the funding gap,” Schuster said. “Every dollar from the café goes toward our Nutrition Program.”

Active Generations serves nearly 300,000 meals annually across the Sioux Empire through both congregate dining and home-delivered meal programs.

Adults 60 and older participating in the congregate dining program can use meal cards for designated menu items, with suggested donations of $4 for breakfast and $5.25 for lunch.

Nutrition Program clients also have access to special breakfast and lunch options on the menu at reduced rates. Anyone living in the Sioux Empire that’s 60 or older is eligible to join the program; income specifications do not apply.

“A core pillar of Simply Good Café is giving diners the power of choice,” Schuster said. “Our menu offers participants flexibility with breakfast and lunch options at affordable, suggested donation rates.”

More ways to support the mission

The café also offers catering, custom cookies for celebrations and corporate events, and take-and-bake meals in both large and small portions. Visit here for more information.

“We just love food, and we love what we’re doing,” DeBuhr said. “There’s not a single person here for themselves. We all have the same mission. We’re here to make sure people are taken care of and have access to good food.”

Active Generations will host a grand opening celebration for Simply Good Café at 4:30 p.m. June 16 at 5500 E. Active Generations Place.

The event will include free samples and a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce. No RSVP is required.

The café is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

As business grows, Active Generations also is hiring cooks, front-of-house team members and dishwashers.

For details on employment opportunities, visit ActiveGenerations.org.