Founding Farmers in King of Prussia, PA
In restaurant terms, King of Prussia (deemed “KOP” from here on out) is Mecca. No other place in our country has experienced the kind of frenzied influx of growth as this mega suburb sit- uated less than twenty-miles west of Philadelphia. KOP boasts a collective of over 60 fine dining, casual and informal cafes, with just over 4,000 seats having been added in the last eighteen months alone.
And there are more to come!
With few exceptions, if you want it, it’s there for you in KOP. This city-within-a- suburb is a true microcosm of the land- scape of American dining today. It’s all here.
To quote the old “Field of Dreams” adage: “If you build it they will come.” Yep - the developers did, and they still are! They’ve constructed scores of din- ing operations and the patrons just keep on coming!
You can imagine, then, how utterly enthralled I am to be here in this con- ference room, gazing down into the very nexus of the culinary action - espe- cially since my own job as a corporate concierge has me booking so many of these places daily.
But it’s the food writer side of me (I am fortunate and grateful to serve as the lead restaurant reviewer for Main Line Today) that really makes me ponder where we are and where we’re headed within the realms of the restaurant industry.
Listening to readers, watching the trends and experiencing the biz for myself, here are some current observa- tions…
Founding Farmers Is The Most Important Restaurant To Open Here In The Last Decade
“When your restaurant’s majority owners are more than 47,000 American family farmers, then we can promise that our
purchasing dollars align with those val- ues – which are our values, too.” This statement was from Founding Farmers co-owner Dan Simons, who made it dur- ing a recent press event I attended at his exciting new super restaurant, Founding Farmers.
Managing partner Francis Lake then continued the positive dialogue, “We bring farmer-owned concepts to life by focusing on providing exceptional serv- ice, and scratch-made American food and drink with ingredients that are responsibly sourced.”
Since its November 1, 2017 opening, this chain-let (with a handful of opera- tions existing in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC) has taken the Philly region by storm with its farmers-first philosophy that goes well beyond your typical farm-to-table mandate. It’s also a “grain-to-glass” one, since the restau- rant distills its own line of spirits and, too, there’s a “creamery-to-cone” focus since Farmers hand-churns its own ice creams.
But this commitment toward foods and to those 47,000-plus who comprise the North Dakota Farmers Union (ostensi- bly they are the real co-op owners of Founding Farmers) also extends to the operation’s team members who are
ingrained in the ownership’s core pro- prietary principles, including sharing in all aspects of heightened attitudes toward both “sustainability” and also “community.”
These are more than mere buzz words. And, indeed, the Founding Farmers team does much more than talk-the- talk. They live by their values daily, and they back up their own promises with a vast American menu covering three square meals a day.
Besides these aforementioned commit- ments to the farming community and toward its own team members, the venue itself is a design marvel - with its comfort-inducing and eye-appealing designs bringing thoughtful environ- ments to the very fore. One room is a- glow and full of action, yet the next one over, separated only by a mere half- wall, is somehow muted and serene. The customer’s comfort becomes a main priority. The settings here are as stunning as they are aesthetical.
Too, Founding Farmers isn’t geared toward any one particular type of diner. A table full of teens can easily enjoy (and most-likely afford) the exquisitely- presented fare. Meanwhile, my own [corporate] clientele can dine next to them, peacefully, while another nearby
Mid-Atlantic EVENTS Magazine 79
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