The Madison Park Café was opened in 1979 by Karen Binder and her friend and former business partner, Peggy Stamm. The original café operated as a coffee and tea room with limited food offerings, selling coffee and tea by the pound, espresso machines, and related paraphernalia. For 19 years, the café operated as a busy, neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot until 1999 when Karen took sole ownership of the restaurant, dropped weekday breakfast and lunch, and opened as a full-time dinner house. Because Karen had previously lived in Geneva, Switzerland, is fluent in French and is a francophile, the natural extension for her was to serve French bistro cuisine in the evening. The café continues to serve brunch on Saturday and Sunday as it has for over 28 years.  Reservations are suggested for dinner, however, brunch is on a first-come, first-served basis.