Founding Farmers

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Founding Farmers
Company typePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
FoundedWashington, D.C, restaurant (2008)
FoundersMichael Vucurevich & Dan Simons
Headquarters
Potomac, MD
Number of locations
6 restaurants
Key people
Michael Vucurevich & Dan Simons, Co-Owners
Mark Watne, Owner, Investor
Joe Goetze, Head Chef
Number of employees
1,200
Websitewearefoundingfarmers.com

Founding Farmers is an American upscale-casual restaurant owned by the North Dakota Farmers Union and Farmers Restaurant Group (FRG). The restaurant was founded in 2008 when Farmers Restaurant Group co-owners Dan Simons and Michael Vucurevich partnered up with the North Dakota Farmers Union to open the flagship Founding Farmers on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.[1] Founding Farmers was the first LEED Gold Certified restaurant in Washington, D.C.[2] Since opening Founding Farmers DC in 2008, FRG has opened 6 other locations in DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.[3] Founding Farmers also has a sister restaurant, Farmers Fishers Bakers, located in Washington, D.C.[4]

History[edit]

In 2005, members of the North Dakota Farmers Union (NDFU) were interested in developing a restaurant where guests could have access to, and benefit from, food grown, raised, and harvested on American family farms. They also wanted to bring awareness to American family farmers and help farmers earn a larger share of the food dollar.[5] The NDFU first started a restaurant called Agraria, which failed due to numerous factors.[6] The NDFU reached out to restaurateurs and owners of VSAG, a restaurant and hospitality consulting company, Dan Simons and Michael Vucurevich. They then partnered to open the first of their restaurants, Founding Farmers DC, in 2008.[7]

Founding Farmers restaurants were sued in 2017 for overtime and wage violations. The lawsuit alleged they had employees work at different restaurants to get around having to pay overtime wages, had to share tips with managers, denied sick leave, and required employees to attend meetings without being paid.[8] Founding Farmers agreed to pay up to $1.49 million to settle the lawsuit.[9]

Menu[edit]

The menus are slightly varies by locations, each incorporating with local tastes and trends. All of the food prepared in Founding Farmers kitchens is made in-house daily, and all locations are part of the Certified Green Restaurant Association [1]. All breads are baked at their in-house bakery, with approximately 118,000 loaves baked per year.[10] Their most popular items include: cornbread, chicken and waffles, grilled cheese with tomato soup, and bacon lollies.[11] In 2013, Founding Farmers published a cookbook with 100 of their menu items.[12] Their bar has gained recognition for their pre-prohibition style cocktails, wine, and craft beer.[13] With a full bar in each of their restaurants, they have also gained recognition for their craft cocktails made with spirits from their distillery — Founding Spirits — located inside their Founding Farmers a & Distillers DC location.[14]

Reviews[edit]

Travel and Leisure Magazine named Founding Farmers "The Best Farm-To-Table" in Washington, D.C.[15] In 2015, Founding Farmers gained recognition in the New York Times for their inclusive gender-neutral restrooms.[16] In early 2011, Chef Robert Irvine discussed Founding Farmers' Devilish-Eggs on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate".[17] In June 2016, popular food critic Tom Sietsema reviewed Founding Farmers in The Washington Post, giving the restaurant a 0-star rating.[18] Founding Farmers sets the DC Record for Number of Yelp Reviews[19]

Awards[edit]

  • Washington City Paper – Best of D.C. 2019, 2019[20]
  • Huffington Post – The 10 Most Sustainable Restaurants, 2016[21]
  • Travel + Leisure – The Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant in Every State, 2016[22]
  • Mail Line Today – 20 Best New Restaurants on the Main Line
  • Washington City Paper – Best of DC Best Bloody Mary, 2015[23]
  • Bethesda Magazine – Best of Bethesda 2018 Best Restaurant in Potomac, 2018[24]
  • Bethesda Magazine – Best of Bethesda 2018 Best Brunch, 2018[25]
  • Bethesda Magazine – Best of Bethesda 2018 Best Cocktails, 2018[26]
  • OpenTable – Most Booked Restaurant on OpenTable in the U.S.[27]

Locations[edit]

In 2019, Founding Farmers has six locations throughout the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area and King of Prussia, PA. An additional sibling location is Farmers Fishers Bakers DC in Georgetown's Washington Harbour. They are planning to open a seventh location in Alexandria, VA in the summer of 2024.[28]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Tonneson, Lon (October 2008). "Around Dakota Ag" (PDF) – via Dakota Farmer.com.
  2. ^ "Natura Water - Tap Water Filtration, Chilling and Carbonation Systems About Natura - About". www.naturawater.com. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  3. ^ "Founding Farmers heading to greater Philadelphia at King of Prussia Town Center - Washington Business Journal". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  4. ^ Voelker, Jessica (2012-10-23). "Farmers Fishers Bakers Announces an Opening Date". Washingtonian. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  5. ^ "When farmers own restaurants". Restaurant Hospitality. 2018-01-19. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  6. ^ "North Dakota Farmers Union opens restaurants in D.C." Mason City Globe Gazette. Retrieved 2016-12-19.
  7. ^ Spiegel, Anna (2015-07-07). "The Farmers Restaurant Group Announces a New $7 Million Project: Farmers & Distillers". Washingtonian. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  8. ^ "Founding Farmers restaurants are accused of wage and overtime violations - The Washington Post". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2017-06-09.
  9. ^ "Founding Farmers restaurant group settles wage case for $1.49M".
  10. ^ "CR Magazine Blog: How a Group of Farmer-Owner Restaurants Uses the Family Farm as a Business Model for Sustainability". CR Magazine Blog. 2016-09-12. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  11. ^ Agrawal, A. J. (2016-09-18). "A New Deal For Farmers - How Founding Farmers Is Changing the Game". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  12. ^ Frederick, Missy (2012-12-19). "Founding Farmers to Release a Cookbook". Eater DC. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  13. ^ "45 Great Places to Get a Drink in the Bethesda Area". Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  14. ^ Martell, Nevin (2016-05-16). "45 Great Places to Get a Drink in the Bethesda Area". MoCo360. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  15. ^ "The Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant in Every State". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  16. ^ Ball, Aimee Lee (2015-11-05). "In All-Gender Restrooms, the Signs Reflect the Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  17. ^ "Founding Farmers on Food Network Monday - Washington Business Journal". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  18. ^ Sietsema, Tom (2016-06-01). "Founding Farmers review: Zero stars for the mega-popular D.C. eatery". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  19. ^ "Founding Farmers Sets DC Record For Number of Yelp Reviews". Washingtonian. 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  20. ^ "Best of D.C. 2019". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  21. ^ "The 10 Most Sustainable Restaurants in America". The Huffington Post. 2016-07-18. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  22. ^ "The Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant in Every State". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  23. ^ "Reader Poll: D.C.'s Best Bloody Mary 2015 - Washington City Paper". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  24. ^ "Restaurant in Potomac". www.bethesdamagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  25. ^ "Brunch". www.bethesdamagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  26. ^ "Cocktails". www.bethesdamagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  27. ^ Rashid, Brian. "How Founding Farmers Became The Most Booked Restaurant In The U.S. For 5 Years Running". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  28. ^ www.bizjournals.com https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2023/06/28/founding-farmers-alexandria-dan-simons-stonebridge.html. Retrieved 2023-08-28. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links[edit]

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