When you first walk into the café, patrons notice the lively music and the large black and white photos of Verlene’s children lined up on the rear wall of the café. In addition, one notices the beautiful hand-painted floors and ceiling, all painted by Verlene herself. Verlene came from an artsy and creative family, so she tapped relatives for help with the rest of the décor. Her mother sewed window treatments decorated with beads from her daughter’s bead box. A friend designed the delivery “Zoo Bags” and menus, while her sister-in-law helped create the interior, and designed the Noodle Zoo logo.

“This is a labor of art, love and the pursuit of better hours in the restaurant business,” Verlene says. “I want people to come in and say, ‘what an artsy interior.’ I don’t want people walking into a common, boring atmosphere.”

Patrons next notice the incredible smells -- grilled breads, fresh Romano and Parmesan cheeses, fresh garlic and the specialty coffees. The menus also consist of soups, pasta dishes, and Verlene’s signature salad, along with imported and domestic beers, and fine wines. Everything on the menu is a special recipe created by Verlene during more than 22 years in the restaurant business.

If you happen to drop by early in the day, you’ll see dozens of “Zoo Bags” waiting to be filled with Bob’s Basic Lunch or a gourmet sandwich, and then delivered to various business and other locations before the lunch crowd arrives. Bob Monkey’s Noodle Zoo has been runner-up three years in a row for the best brown bag lunch in the Business Record’s “Best of Des Moines” informal poll. Other accomplishments include:

* “2003 readers Choice” for the #1 Lunch Spot in Des Moines

* Nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year, 2002 Business Record

To all new franchises, Verlene says: “Welcome aboard, and thanks for going forward with my dream!”