Founding Farmers, the downtown farm-inspired eatery that has been the country’s most-booked restaurant on Open Table this year (1300 covers a day) is putting the finishing touches on a second location in the Park Potomac development in Potomac, slated to open the last week of October.
The restaurant occupies part of the bottom level of the Shulman Rogers law firm building, and is 8,100 square feet—making it slightly smaller than the downtown branch.
I got a peak at the space, and while it still looks more like a construction site than a restaurant, it’s shaping up to be an interesting interior.
Some of the elements:
- A U-shaped bar that will seat 28, along with additional seating in the bar area
- Silo-shaped booths (similar to downtown) and two community tables on the mezzanine level
- An open bakery that will be a focal point, and is three or four times larger than the one downtown
- A greenhouse-atrium feel with a barn-like color scheme (the rust, gold and black banquette cushions are lovely)
- Still to come: free WiFi and electrical outlets at every table and at the bar (plus a mini-business center that will include mailing supplies and printer access), a giant mural with a bird’s eye perspective of farmland, artisan-crafted birds hanging from the ceiling, an outdoor patio with a fire pit.
As for the food, downtown’s executive chef Rob Ross and pastry chef Courtney Goldian will be sticking with their regionally-sourced breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch menus, but expanding many of the offerings.
That will include more chicken dishes and roasted vegetables, house-made sausages, more pickled and preserved items, and homemade sodas. The expanded bakery will give Goldian more room to bake new styles of bread and desserts with fresh fruit.
What’s more, Potomac's Founding Farmers will be kicking off an “afternoon social” that will give moms, retirees and office workers a mid-afternoon break of tea and tea sandwiches, scones, cookies and the like.
The restaurant also hopes to have an active carryout business, and a delivery service for those who live and work in the Park Potomac complex.
Potomac's Founding Farmers, 12505 Park Potomac Ave. 301-340-8783. www.wearefoundingfarmers.com
