It doesn’t matter to Dan Simons if the chicken or the egg came first. He is much more concerned about where they came from. Simons, who launched the first Founding Farmers nine years ago in Washington D.C. with his partner Mike Vucurevich, wants you to ask where the food on your plate comes from, not just at the restaurants he owns, but anywhere you dine.
“I want to arm you with the questions to ask because that is what is going to move the needle on the supply chain. It’s a rising tide. Help family farmers in one state, help family farmers in all states,” Simons said.
Simons can tell you where everything at Founding Farmers is sourced, and in turn he is giving away his recipe for success. The one that has made Founding Farmers the most booked restaurant in the nation on Open Table for the past five years.
With its first location outside of the D.C. area set to open Nov. 1, the newest restaurant at King of Prussia Town Center looks to duplicate the others’ popularity. It is off to a promising start before the first guest is served. More than 1,500 reservations were booked for the opening Saturday and Sunday, and there are already 2,000 reservations for the following week.
“I saw the demographics here, and what King of Prussia had was a lot of people who were mindful and not a lot of restaurant offerings that was on the same level,” Simons said. “I’m not criticizing the chains, but I don’t think they were giving the people here what they wanted. I saw a real opportunity.”
Farmers Restaurant Group, owned by 47,553 American farmers who make up the North Dakota Farmers Union, was born through the farmers’ mission to “unbundle” the corporate food chain while serving made-from-scratch and thoughtfully sourced food and earning their proper share of the profits. The farmers had this idea in the early 2000s as a way to get a greater share of the food dollar. Simons explained the farmers didn’t claim to know how to run a restaurant so they needed restaurateurs like himself and Vucurevich.
“Whether the farmers sell us something or not, they share in the profits of the restaurant. A lot of those farmers sell grain to the North Dakota Mill, which we buy all of our flour from, so when I sell a loaf of bread here, the farmers who sold the grain benefit,” Simons explained. “We are pioneering a different business model. The American family farmer shares in the profits. We do a lot of things to represent those values.”
Founding Farmers has a first-level café, First Bake, where house-made donuts (which are better than neighboring. overhyped Duck Donuts), bagels, breads and cakes greet guests upon entrance. The café is based on a straight-out-of-the-oven/coffee-roaster/ice-cream-churner concept to convey freshness. Simons hopes the U-shaped, diner-style counter will become a democratic meeting place for cops, bankers and lawyers.
“Anything you see today that looks edible, we make it here, save for a few exceptions,” Simons said.
Throughout the tour, Simon radiated energy, a benevolent Willie Wonka in his farm-to-table factory.
The 284-seat second -level restaurant offers various dining microclimates ― a hip bar area, quiet living room, natural- light-flooded sunroom, private behind-the-bookcase dining quarters ― for diners eager to sample chef Joe Goetze’s spins on American comfort food.
Simons wants guests to feel like they have to come back and hopes to see them multiple times a week. Aside from responsibly sourced food, Founding Farmers prides itself on a stellar brunch and a chef-driven breakfast. It has expanded brunch service to Saturdays, instead of just Sundays, to the delight of customers.
“Give people what they love,” Simons said of brunch. “We learned that this farmer’s market feast of a brunch is a Cirque du Soleil of food. My hunch is brunch is going to get a tremendous wow.”
As a resident of the town, I am often asked, “Where can I get breakfast in King of Prussia?,” especially since Michael’s closed.
“My house,” I answer. I make a good breakfast and am known to serve it not just at “appropriate breakfast hours.” But I don’t have the griddle space or the seating to accommodate those looking for a good, or dare I say, great breakfast. Instead, I send them to Sabrina’s in Wynnewood or the Classic Diner in Malvern, but they usually think it’s too far (unless they have eaten there before; then they know its worth the trip.)
Now, I can actually refer them to a place in King of Prussia. And if you can, request to be seated in the sunroom for breakfast or brunch. Then maybe I’ll join you, unless I’m waiting in line. That is one of the tenets of Founding Farmers ― a community gathering.
“We know where the egg came from, we bake the English muffin, and we churn the butter,” Simons said. “That is the magic of us especially at breakfast. Where are you going to get that?”
Not in my kitchen. I don’t churn butter or bake the English muffin.
Katie Kohler is an award-winning columnist and journalist. She is a Norristown native and a current resident of King of Prussia. Visit her at www.katiekohler.com. Email kkohler1129@gmail.com.
