Welcome To Our Table

We are farmers. We are restaurateurs. Since 2008, we have been making everything we can from scratch, from our bread & butter to our ice cream & chocolate, using ingredients from farmers we know and trust. The family farmers of the North Dakota Farmers Union, who collectively own Founding Farmers, are represented on every plate, as are the country’s founding mothers and fathers—who were also farmers. We are a mission-driven, learning organization of like-minded people, individually and collectively committed to creating delicious and sustainable food and drink, an atmosphere of genuine hospitality, understanding and developing our people, and doing the right things for the right reasons. Food and drink are the fuel on which all humans run. Through learning and teaching, we strive to provide this fuel in ways that align with our principles.

Let us take you back to the roots of good food & drink: high-quality ingredients grown with care, scratch-made cooking, and exceptional hospitality. We hope you enjoy all that is Founding Farmers.

— Mark Watne, Farmer, Co-Owner, NDFU President
— Michael Vucurevich, Co-Owner, Farmers Restaurant Group
— Dan Simons, Co-Owner, Farmers Restaurant Group

At Founding Farmers, Everything Matters. Nothing is too small. If something can be made better, smarter, healthier, that’s how we want to do it. For us, this means we make everything from scratch from our bread to our booze. We thoughtfully source all of our ingredients. We have active recycling and composting programs that divert about 90% of our waste from landfills. We design and operate sustainable restaurants. We earn LEED and Green Restaurant Association certifications. We started a non-profit – Our Last Straw – to expand our sustainability efforts beyond the walls of our restaurants. We actively support our neighborhoods and our communities. We grow our people, providing hands-on training, mentorship, and opportunities for continued growth. Our business model, as a farmer-owned company, is designed to ensure American family farmers earn a larger share of the food dollar.