Dawn Scheurle might just be proof positive that “mother’s intuition” actually exists. The 42-year-old Dublin resident has been working full days – and well into most nights – turning a one-time hobby into a self-propelled business.

 

The result of her labor is KidsEatOut.com, a comprehensive website devoted to informing families (mostly moms) with young children where to find the best local places to eat. Her observations at these restaurants entail much more than just the food, however.

 

The list, or “reviews” as Scheurle calls them, includes whether the establishments have a kid-friendly atmosphere, how extensive the children’s menus are, if they include healthy options, price points, whether there are changing stations in both the men’s and women’s restrooms, if there are high chairs, if there are adult beverages available and much more.

 

The site has as much information as Scheurle can maintain by herself, information she once craved as a stay-at-home mom before the project began. The site technically launched the spring of 2009, but Scheurle says its seed was planted years earlier.

 

“I started keeping a list about five years ago and wanted to start it then, but I still had kids at home and it took up much more time than I thought it would. I wanted to do it right; it was hard to be patient,” Scheurle says.

 

Now, with all three of her and her husband Bernie’s children at school – Amanda, who turns 13 in July, Alec, 11 and Lauren, 8 – she’s devotes entire days to honing the site. Her drive is fed by the constant feedback of both information and appreciation from other parents.

 

Through the “contact us” link on her Website, readers have responded with comments such as “Great information. Can’t wait to try some of these places with our 8 and 5 year olds,” or “What a great idea. A meal out can actually be nice for the WHOLE family!” Scheurle says most parents can relate to her initial objective with the site.

 

“Once you have kids, the rules change completely. Going out to dinner becomes a chore – you have to find a place to change the diapers, a place that has a lot of options for them to eat. (Bernie) and I loved going out, but after kids, we started noticing that we’d just go to the same places over and over again because they were kid-friendly,” Scheurle says.

 

Most restaurant Websites, she adds, don’t promote their “kid-friendliness,” which didn’t help the couple’s stagnancy. Aided by a neighbor’s suggestion to check out a new restaurant that featured a dynamic kids’ menu, Scheurle began soliciting more suggestions and keeping a list.

 

“I asked my neighbor how she found out about the restaurant and it’s all basically through word of mouth. I figured if I was looking for this information, others had to be, too. To me, this site was born out of necessity,” Scheurle says.

 

It didn’t hurt that she has a marketing background to promote the site, either. Since committing to the site’s foundation last year, it has evolved – and snowballed – into much more than she originally imagined.

 

In addition to restaurant “reviews,” KidsEatOut.com also includes children’s artwork (something she thought would add a fun design element), coupons, a “Moms Eat Too” section featuring fun places for girls’ nights and a section called “Fab Finds,” or what Scheurle calls her “pet project.”

 

“Fab Finds” has nothing to do with kid-friendly restaurants, but everything to do with other interesting information for parents – information she has either stumbled upon herself or that readers have shared.

 

“Did you know, for example, that Whole Foods has a cooking class for kids? Or that Lowe’s has a clinic for kids to do crafts? This section includes those great things you just don’t hear about too often,” Scheurle says. “It fits into the objective of the site because it’s about sharing information. Moms share information – it’s what we do.”

 

Most of the traffic on the site, however, is generated through the “Kids Deal Days Calendar” section, which is continuously updated with kid-oriented specials going on at restaurants throughout Central Ohio, from Grove City to Plain City.

 

Within the past year, Scheurle says the site has expanded from five to 12 to more than 50 restaurant reviews (chains are counted as one), all done on her own. The growth is a result of word of mouth and perhaps the economy, she says, as more restaurants are trying to appeal to families.

 

“We’re in a huge growth stage right now. It amazes me how many people are willing to reach out and provide feedback and take time out of their day to help,” Scheurle says.

 

Moving forward, Scheurle has even more information to share. Her future goals include adding a healthy eating section and a reader feedback section.

 

In the meantime, most of her schedule is spent updating and “perfecting” the current site while raising three kids, a dog and four hamsters. She also contributes guest postings about her finds to the Dublin Visitors & Convention Bureau blog, supplements her business with Facebook and Twitter accounts, volunteers at her children’s schools and transports them to and from sports practices.

 

Her kids are getting old enough to pitch in sometimes. They go out to eat once a week with their grandparents (who live in Hilliard) and fight over who is going to scope out the bathrooms for changing stations.

 

“They always bring me back a menu, too! The fact that my kids are helping and having fun with it is such a joy,” she says. “And all of the people who go out of their way to help – whether they have business advice or know of a great deal at a restaurant – are part of the reason the site has gone from an expensive hobby to a business I enjoy. Based on the feedback I get, it’s also a resource people use and that is the best part.”

 

Alicia Kelso is a contributing editor for Dublin Life.

 

Check out Dawn Scheurle’s Website at www.KidsEatOut.com , or visit her Facebook or Twitter pages:

www.facebook.com/kidseatout.com

http://twitter.com/kidseatout .