Girl, 9, Wrote Glowing, but Unprompted, 5Star Review of Bakery. She's Now Helping It Craft a New Kids&x27; Menu (Exclusive) Nicholas RiceSun, March 29, 2026 at 11:30 AM UTC 0 Katherine Peel with her review, Katherine Peel at the bakery.Credit: James Peel; Brit Baker A 9yearold girl wrote a fivestar review of her local la Madeleine location for her school newspaper The glowing remarks were seen by CEO John Dillon, who invited Katherine Peel, a third grader in Texas, and her family to help craft a kids' menu "They had a custom apron ready for her, along with berets for her and her sisters, which...
Girl, 9, Wrote Glowing, but Unprompted, 5-Star Review of Bakery. She's Now Helping It Craft a New Kids' Menu (Exclusive)
Nicholas RiceSun, March 29, 2026 at 11:30 AM UTC
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Katherine Peel with her review, Katherine Peel at the bakery.Credit: James Peel; Brit Baker -
A 9-year-old girl wrote a five-star review of her local la Madeleine location for her school newspaper
The glowing remarks were seen by CEO John Dillon, who invited Katherine Peel, a third grader in Texas, and her family to help craft a kids' menu
"They had a custom apron ready for her, along with berets for her and her sisters, which they continue to wear at home," the child's dad tells PEOPLE
Bon appétit!
After a 9-year-old girl wrote a five-star review of a bakery for her school newspaper, the establishment caught wind and invited her to help craft a new kids' menu.
Katherine Peel, a third grader in Texas, made glowing comments about her local la Madeleine location, which her dad, James Peel, later highlighted in a LinkedIn post.
"Katherine's school newspaper operates on a voluntary basis and has a restaurant review section. She took it upon herself to write about la Madeleine, but it wasn't an assignment," James tells PEOPLE exclusively.
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Katherine Peel's glowing review.Credit: James Peel
la Madeleine, headquartered in Dallas, has more than 80 locations across the United States, with spots in Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland and Oklahoma, to name a few.
John Dillon, CEO of the bakery and café chain, learned of Katherine's sweet review — which, among other things, praised la Madeleine's all-day breakfast options as "a crowd-pleaser" — when a friend sent him James' LinkedIn post.
"What struck me was how sincere it was. She was not just reacting to the food, she was describing what la Madeleine felt like to her," he tells PEOPLE.
"That stayed with me because la Madeleine has always been about more than the meal. It is about warmth, connection and those small moments people remember. Katherine captured that better than a lot of adults could," Dillon adds.
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He and the la Madeleine team invited Katherine and her family to their local location, describing the move as what "felt like the natural next step."
"It gave us a chance to thank her and make the day special, ... and show her a little of what happens behind the scenes at a place she clearly loves," Dillon tells PEOPLE.
Katherine, joined by her sisters, was even tapped to help la Madeleine as the company further designs its kids' menu. "They had so much fun," dad James says. "All three girls loved getting hands-on experience, especially making their own fruit tarts with the cream and fresh toppings, as well as getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the café."
"One of Katherine's ideas was to introduce a stuffed croissant for children," he continues. "Her recommendations also included bringing back the chicken pesto pasta and adding a savory crepe."
Katherine Peel with the kids' menu at the bakery.Credit: Brit Baker
According to James, "la Madeleine went above and beyond to make the experience special for Katherine and our entire family."
"They had a custom apron ready for her, along with berets for her and her sisters, which they continue to wear at home," he continues. "It meant a lot that the whole family could be part of it, and it turned into a really special bonding moment for the sisters while also celebrating Katherine."
Dillon, meanwhile, tells PEOPLE, "la Madeleine was founded just over 40 years ago with a simple idea: create a bakery café that feels warm, welcoming and a little different from the rush of everyday life. What makes this story so meaningful is that it is a reminder that hospitality still matters. People remember how a place made them feel."
He adds, "The fact that Katherine saw that and wrote about it so honestly on her own meant a great deal to all of us. This was a chance to celebrate her creativity, and also a chance to celebrate the role la Madeleine fills for our guests every day."
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: March 29, 2026 at 07:45AM on Source: PRIME TIME
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