Founding Farmers iPhone app

It’s no surprise that iPhones and smart gadgets that offer limitless uses and life’s little ‘helpers’ in the form of user applications (‘apps’) have expanded into the restaurant business.  VSAG is at the forefront of directing new apps for client restaurants and concepts Founding Farmers, and two new soon to be launched iPhone apps for sister restaurant Farmers & Fishers and new concept Sauca mobile restaurant.

The Founding Farmers iPhone app has been so popular, in fact, that developer Sweb Development has been featured in a number of articles and stories of note, including this recent one from the Wall Street Journal from December 8, in which VSAG Principal Dan Simons is interviewed as a business owner and also as a big fan of the iPhone app that he commissioned from Sweb.   “What we’re able to provide for our guests through the apps is convenience and interaction,” said Simons.  ”We’ve received great feedback from our guests and we want to try and use the app in as many different ways as possible to really engage with our guests.  It’s been a super addition to our marketing strategy and outreach.”

From Dan Simons, VSAG Principal, in Response to the December 7, 2009 article by Jane Black that appeared on the front page of The Washington Post:

We’re thankful to Jane Black for bringing such an important topic – sustainable agriculture and what it means to be a green restaurant committed to sustainable business practices – to the front page of The Washington Post. How much more important can this topic get for foodies and restaurateurs? Not much more, but we’re glad that there is focus on a successful business in Washington, DC, that is working to help American family farmers and pushing the envelope on a broad array of topics that go well beyond the superficial, easy topics. Read the rest of this entry »

VSAG is proud to share that DC’s Greenest Restaurant Founding Farmers has been featured in Hotel Magazine’s annual Gold Key Hospitality Awards as a finalist for the 2009 Casual Dining Restaurant Awards, as one of 3 international projects (and the only one in the U.S.!) that were nominated in this category.

The Gold Key Hospitality Awards are hosted by Hotel Magazine and Interior Design Magazine and recognizes design firms who have done the most innovative work on hospitality renovations or new builds from around the globe, for hotels, restaurants and spas. Congratulations to CORE and the whole restaurant team for Founding Farmers for a great showing and for garnering international attention. Read the rest of this entry »

‘Planet Forward’ sounds like a cool new hang out at a university campus, but it’s actually a co-production of the Public Affairs Project at The George Washington University and Nebraska Educational Telecommunications. Program students Madeline Twomey and Juliette Dallas-Feeney sat with Dan Simons recently to talk about going green in the restaurant business, specifically at Founding Farmers.  The women are part of a reporting class that uses advanced multimedia platforms to create stories about sustainability and going green. The two spent some time in the restaurant filming the interiors, the high filtration water system, the recycling center and of course the food!  Check out the video, Serving Up a Platter of Green, after the break.

Read the rest of this entry »

On Labor Day Monday Farmers & Fishers Sous Chef Mario Pineda appeared on the WUSA9 morning show and prepared the very popular Heritage Truck-style Fish Tacos on the air for anchor Kim Martucci in honor of Brazilian Independence Day.   Mario demonstrated his culinary abilities by whipping up our original recipe tacos in just 2 minutes!

See the video for yourself, and catch a cocktail segment with Founding Farmers Mixologist Josh Tugjnyam, who shook Cabana Cachaca (the spirit of Brazil!) into a couple great tasting cocktails.  No holidays for DC’s most popular restaurant!

VSAG client Founding Farmers – the first LEED Gold certified full-service upscale-casual restaurant in the U.S., as well as the first LEED-certified restaurant in Washington DC - was recognized for its outstanding commitment to sustainability, appearing as the cover story for the 2009 bonus edition of The Consultant magazine. Read more for the full article, or click here. Read the rest of this entry »

VSAG Principal Dan Simons shared his restaurant operations expertise in the feature “10 Ways to Save – Ideas for saving thousands in restaurateur operations costs” published on September 2, 2009. View the entire article here.

VSAG sends a shout out to Yellow + Blue, the eco-friendly, very tasty, tetra-pak (AMAZING wine in a box!) purveyor and friend of Founding Farmers and Farmers & Fishers restaurants, for their feature in Fast Company this week.   Their interesting white Torrontes, Cafayate, Argentina 2008 and the 2005 Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina are two of the restaurant’s top sellers by the glass, and no surprise—they’re delicious, great pairings for many items on the menus.   From harvest to packaging to the glass, these are all certified organic wines that are stored in environmentally friendly packaging. It’s the kind of thing VSAG loves in its work on bar & lounge menus and green restaurant operations.  Here’s to drinking green!

VSAG is very excited about Founding Farmers’ new iPhone App—it’s a great way to reach out to the guests and to keep the restaurant on the cutting edge, important parts in our work in restaurant management and restaurant social media.

Be among the first iPhone users that have discovered the fun, convenient way to see what’s new on the menu, make reservations and even choose a wine with dinner with the new Founding Farmers restaurant app.   This FREE app is available through the iTunes App Store, and Founding Farmers is among just a few restaurants that have seen the fun in reaching out to guests in a new way.  Even TIME magazine has noticed! Read the rest of this entry »

Huh very cool….and guess which original LEED Gold, hip and casual farm-fed restaurant was included on his very exclusive list of top places to eat in DC?  That’s right…Founding Farmers!

VSAG is so proud that Founding Farmers is in this very distinctive group of dining establishments – some tried and true, some more classically DC than others, and still others like Founding Farmers, the new kids on the block that are turning heads!   Thanks Tommy!