Founding Farmers

Founding Farmers is an American upscale-casual restaurant owned by North Dakota Farmers Union and Farmers Restaurant Group. The restaurant was founded in 2008 when Farmers Restaurant Group owners Dan Simons and Michael Vucurevich partnered up with North Dakota Farmers Union to open Founding Farmers on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.[1] Founding Farmers is the first Leed Gold Designed restaurant in Washington, D.C.[2] The restaurant is headquartered in Kensington, MD and has locations in DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.[3] Founding Farmers also has two sister restaurants, Farmers Fishers Bakers and Farmers & Distillers, both located in Washington, D.C.[4]

Founding Farmers
TypePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
FoundedWashington, D.C, restaurant (2008)
FoundersMichael Vucurevich & Dan Simons
Headquarters
Kensington, MD
Number of locations
5 restaurants
Key people
Michael Vucurevich & Dan Simons, Owners
Mark Watne, Owner, Investor
Joe Goetze, Head Chef
Jon Arroyo, Beverage Director
Number of employees
1,000
Websitewearefoundingfarmers.com

History

In 2005, members of 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. NDFU first started a restaurant called Agraria, which failed due to numerous factors.[5] North Dakota Farmers Union soon partnered with restaurateurs, Dan Simons and Michael Vucurevich, and opened the first of their restaurants, Founding Farmers DC, in 2008.[6]

The menu varies slightly by location, each incorporating 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. All bread is baked at their in-house bakery, with approximately 118,000 loaves baked per year.[7] Their most popular items include: cornbread, chicken and waffles, grilled cheese with tomato soup, and bacon lollies.[8] In 2013, Founding Farmers published a cookbook with 100 of their menu items.[9] Their bar has gained recognition for their pre-prohibition style cocktails, wine, and craft beer.[10]

Reviews

Travel and Leisure Magazine named Founding Farmers “The Best Farm-To-Table” in Washington, D.C.[11] In 2015, Founding Farmers gained recognition in the New York Times for their gender-neutral restrooms.[12] In early 2011, Chef Robert Irvine discusses Founding Farmers’ Devilish-Eggs on Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”.[13] In June 2016, popular food critic Tom Sietsema reviewed Founding Farmers in The Washington Post, Founding Farmers review, Zero stars for the mega-popular D.C. eatery.[14] Founding Farmers Sets DC Record For Number of Yelp Reviews[15]

Awards
  • Washington City Paper- Best of D.C. 2019, 2019[16]
  • Huffington Post – The 10 Most Sustainable Restaurants, 2016[17]
  • Travel and Leisure- The Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant in Every State, 2016[18]
  • Mail Line Today - 20 Best New Restaurants on the Main Line
  • Washington City Paper - Best of DC Best Bloody Mary, 2015[19]
  • Bethesda Magazine - Best of Bethesda 2018 Best Restaurant in Potomac, 2018[20]
  • Bethesda Magazine - Best of Bethesda 2018 Best Brunch, 2018[21]
  • Bethesda Magazine - Best of Bethesda 2018 Best Cocktails, 2018[22]
  • OpenTable - Most Booked Restaurant on OpenTable in the U.S.[23]

Locations

In 2019, Founding Farmers has five locations throughout the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area and King of Prussia, PA. Founding Farmers also has two sister restaurants, Farmers Fishers Bakers and Farmers & Distillers, both located in Washington, D.C.

References
  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. 23, Jessica Voelker on October; 2012 (2012-10-23). "Farmers Fishers Bakers Announces an Opening Date". Washingtonian. Retrieved 2016-11-08.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. "North Dakota Farmers Union opens restaurants in D.C." Mason City Globe Gazette. Retrieved 2016-12-19.
  6. 7, Anna Spiegel on July; 2015 (2015-07-07). "The Farmers Restaurant Group Announces a New $7 Million Project: Farmers & Distillers". Washingtonian. Retrieved 2016-11-08.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. Sharedxpertise (2016-09-12). "CR Magazine Blog: How a Group of Farmer-Owner Restaurants Uses the Family Farm as a Business Model for Sustainability". CR Magazine Blog. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  8. Agrawal, A. J. (2016-09-18). "A New Deal For Farmers - How Founding Farmers Is Changing the Game | Huffington Post". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  9. Frederick, Missy (2012-12-19). "Founding Farmers to Release a Cookbook". Eater DC. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  10. "45 Great Places to Get a Drink in the Bethesda Area". Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  11. "The Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant in Every State". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  12. 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.
  13. "Founding Farmers on Food Network Monday - Washington Business Journal". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  14. 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.
  15. "Founding Farmers Sets DC Record For Number of Yelp Reviews". Washingtonian. 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  16. "Best of D.C. 2019". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  17. SpoonUniversity.com, Spoon University (2016-07-18). "The 10 Most Sustainable Restaurants in America | Huffington Post". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  18. "The Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant in Every State". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  19. "Reader Poll: D.C.'s Best Bloody Mary 2015 - Washington City Paper". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  20. "Restaurant in Potomac". www.bethesdamagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  21. "Brunch". www.bethesdamagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  22. "Cocktails". www.bethesdamagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  23. Rashid, Brian. "How Founding Farmers Became The Most Booked Restaurant In The U.S. For 5 Years Running". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-04-16.

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