An Evolution of Farm-to-Table: Founding Farmers Opens in King of Prussia

Founding Farmers

When Founding Farmers opens its doors today in King of Prussia, it ushers in the next era of farm-to-fork, -plate, -glass and -table. Sound like a tall order? Not when the staff can tell you (in most cases) exactly which farm provided the sustenance before you.

“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 values—which are our values, too,” said Dan Simons, Founding Farmers co-owner. Simons, along with co-owner Michael Vucurevich and King of Prussia managing partner Francis Lake, built the restaurant around a commitment to honor hardworking farmers.

Founding Farmers

Dan Simons, Founding Farmers co-owner

“We bring farmer-owned concepts to life by focusing on providing exceptional service, and scratch-made American food and drink with ingredients that are responsibly sourced,” Lake added.

How do tens of thousands of American farmers collaborate to create a restaurant built on sustainability? Enter the North Dakota Famers Union (NDFU). In 2005, the union members began to seek ways to bring their bounty directly to consumers not just for profit, but also to emphasize that the family farm is at the heart of America’s well-being. What better way to demonstrate that ethos than to showcase it daily in a restaurant?

Founding Farmers

I joined a number of other food-focused media types for a preview event just as the finishing touches were being added to the decor. A flurry of helpful staff-in-training filled the First Bake Cafe and Creamery on the first floor, and the restaurant on the second floor. Truth be told, it’s hard to slip past the fresh, made-to-order bagels, straight-out-of-the-oven breads and muffins, and other heavenly baked delights to make it to the second floor. Open 6 a.m., First Bake is exactly what it sounds like and more. Did I mention it also has pies, cakes, breakfast sandwiches and tarts? Breakfast is available until 11 a.m., but First Bake remains open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 11 p.m. on Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday to serve housemade pizza, beer, wine, house-churned ice cream, just-made donuts and more. Don’t miss the proprietary First Bake Blend coffee and assortment of teas, juices and scratch sodas.

“This is as much about knowing your baker and roaster—and it is sitting at the counter with friends—as it is about getting a bagel or donut that was just made,” Simons added.

After tearing myself away from the everything bagel that reminded me of those I’d relished growing up near New York City (yes, that good!), spoonfuls of Founding Spirits American whiskey and cornflakes ice cream (irresistible!) and a tender, maple-glazed donut (not too sweet!), I made my way to the second floor and soaked in the beautiful vista unfolding before me. An artist was hard at work finishing one of the many original pieces featured throughout the restaurant. Art, too, is local and regional at Founding Farmers. It creates a subtle backdrop that reminds you of local history, with a bit of whimsy thrown in. The bunnies encamped at Valley Forge brought a smile to all.

Founding Farmers

Those rebel rabbits adorn the walls in The General’s Parlor, a comfortable, 24-seat private space through an almost-secret door in a faux-library wall. A slight tug on a painted book stack reveals a well-appointed space ready for meetings, small gatherings, family parties and the like. You can also reserve it for a meal on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Founding Farmers

The remainder of the sweeping second floor offers microclimates to please any guest. Escape to the cozy nook for quiet conversation, the sun room for a lively meal with friends, the larder for the signature (and amazingly stocked) Farmers Market brunch buffet, the barn for community tables that can hold a crowd or the bar for any number of cocktails made with spirits from Founding Farmers’ distillery. Sip on a Park Your Vesper in the Barn, crafted with Founding Spirits vodka and quinine-laced aperitif Cocchi Americano, or the not-too-tart blackberry sour whipped up with Rittenhouse Rye 100, Grand Marnier, egg white, lemon and blackberries.

Founding Farmers

No preview would be complete without food, and we sampled a good mix that showed off the variety that comes from bringing in fresh ingredients daily—there are no freezers at Founding Farmers. The Glazed Bacon Lollis were crisp-tender, yielding to each bite and featuring a hint of sweet with the savory. Devil-ish eggs pushed the envelope on a satisfying classic with topper choices such as ham and smoked salmon.

Our Bread, Our Butter Pretzels & Dips made me want to slap away the hands of other tasters so I could tear off more warm, tender pretzel pieces and double-dip into the pimento cheese, BBQ mustard and sour cream and onion dips. The Pork Shank was fall-off-the-bone tender in a slightly sweet sauce and beautifully plated with street corn and fries. The Founding Spirits Vodka pesto shrimp mingled with tagliatelle, jumbo lump crab and garlic butter into a comfort food winner. And that was just the start. Drool through the menu and choose for yourself.

Founding Farmers

In addition to First Bake’s hours, Founding Farmers is open for breakfast Monday through Friday from 7–11 a.m.; lunch and dinner Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m.–midnight; Saturday from 2 p.m.–midnight and Sunday from 2–10 p.m. The Farmers Market buffet brunch is available Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

You can find Founding Farmers at 255 Main St. in King of Prussia; phone: (484) 808-4008.

  • Founding Farmers exterior photo: Founding Farmers
  • All other photos: Nina Malone

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