Friend Of A Farmer

What Friend Of A Farmer does

Friend of a Farmer is a family-owned and operated farm-to-table restaurant business founded in 1986 and headquartered in New York City. It operates two full-service Manhattan locations — Gramercy Park at 77 Irving Place and the Upper West Side at 68 West 71st Street — serving brunch daily from 9am-4pm, weekday happy hour from 4:30pm-6pm, and dinner nightly from 5pm-9:30pm, alongside an affiliated concept, Stuey's Smokehouse BBQ, in Locust Valley, Long Island. The menu centers on seasonal American comfort food with locally sourced ingredients from regional farms, supported by a wine and cocktail program featuring small-to-medium vineyards and local NY spirits. Beyond dine-in service, the business offers in-house private events (groups of 5-12, with weekend brunch events of 20+ hosted at UWS), off-site catering with pickup, delivery, and full-service options, an e-commerce shop for gift cards (via Toast Tab) and 40th-anniversary merchandise (hats, hoodies, sweatshirts), and handcrafted concrete tables sold at $500-$2,500.

The technology stack is conventional for a hospitality operator: Resy powers online reservations, Toast Tab handles gift card e-commerce, and the Squarespace-hosted website serves as the primary marketing, menu, and information surface. There is no proprietary software, mobile app, API, or AI/ML capability disclosed. Distribution is direct-to-consumer and regional, with reservations self-serve via Resy (up to 6 guests) and direct phone/email for groups, events, and catering. The business is privately held under family ownership with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or funding rounds, and financial information is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Friend Of A Farmer

Legal name

Friend of a Farmer

Website

https://friendofafarmer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Friend of a Farmer is a family-owned farm-to-table restaurant group operating since 1986 in New York City, with two Manhattan locations (Gramercy Park and Upper West Side) and an affiliated Long Island BBQ concept, serving seasonal locally sourced American comfort food alongside private events, catering, and branded retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farm-to-Table Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm-to-Table & Contemporary American Restaurants (THAFACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA), All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ), Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

Keywords

• Farm-to-table dining
• Restaurant catering services
• Private event venues
• Branded merchandise shop
• Seasonal American cuisine

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: On-site dining revenue from brunch, happy hour, and dinner service at two NYC locations. Brunch served 9am-4pm daily, happy hour 4:30pm-6pm Mon-Fri, dinner 5pm-9:30pm daily. Weekend brunch does not accept reservations.
2. Catering Services: Off-site catering for private events including brunch, supper, happy hour, and dessert. Made-to-order dishes cooked from scratch with seasonal options. Services include pickup, delivery, or full-service events with setup and staff.
3. Private Events: In-house private event hosting at Gramercy Park and Upper West Side locations for celebrations, birthdays, bridal showers, small weddings, and corporate gatherings. Groups of 5-12 guests accepted, with weekend brunch events of 20+ handled at UWS location.
4. Merchandise & Gift Cards: E-commerce shop selling branded merchandise including 40th anniversary items (hats, hoodies, sweatshirts) and custom concrete tables. E-gift cards available for use at both locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Friend of a Farmer operates family-owned farm-to-table restaurants serving seasonal American comfort food across brunch, happy hour, and dinner services at two Manhattan locations. The business complements on-site dining with private event hosting for groups of 5–12 (and 20+ at the Upper West Side), off-site catering (pickup, delivery, and full-service), an e-commerce shop for branded apparel and handcrafted concrete tables, and digital gift cards. Menus rotate seasonally using ingredients sourced from local and regional farms.

Product overview

Friend of a Farmer is a family-owned farm-to-table restaurant operating since 1986 with two Manhattan locations (Gramercy Park and Upper West Side). The core offering is seasonal American comfort food dining services encompassing brunch, happy hour, dinner, private events, and catering. The business also operates a merchandise shop selling commemorative 40th anniversary apparel (hoodies, hats, sweatshirts) and handcrafted concrete furniture tables replicating those in the restaurants. E-gift cards are available through Toast Tab. Private event hosting and off-site catering services complement the dining experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restaurant Dining (Brunch, Happy Hour, Dinner) On-site farm-to-table dining offering brunch (9am–4pm daily), happy hour (4:30pm–6pm Mon–Fri), and dinner (5pm–9:30pm daily) at the Gramercy Park and Upper West Side Manhattan locations. Menus feature seasonal, locally sourced American comfort food and a craft cocktail program. Designed for individual diners and small groups (up to 6 via Resy; 7–12 by phone).
• Private Events In-house private event hosting at the Gramercy Park and Upper West Side locations for celebrations such as birthdays, bridal showers, small weddings, and corporate gatherings. Group sizes from 5 to 12 guests are accommodated; weekend brunch events of 20 or more guests are handled at the UWS location.
• Catering Services Off-site catering for private events including brunch, supper, happy hour, and dessert offerings. Made-to-order dishes cooked from scratch using seasonal options, available as pickup, delivery, or full-service events with setup and staff.
• E-Gift Cards Digital gift cards redeemable for brunch or dinner at both Manhattan locations, sold through the Toast Tab platform in varying denominations.
• Concrete Farmer's Market Tables Handcrafted concrete tables designed to replicate the tables used in the restaurant locations, available in small ($500–$750), medium/round ($1,200), and large ($2,500) sizes, plus a small cocktail table ($750).
• 40th Anniversary Merchandise Branded apparel celebrating the restaurant's 40th anniversary, including the 40th Hat ($35), 40th Hoodie ($56), and Chocolate Brown Sweatshirt ($48).

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 years of continuous operation as family-owned farm-to-table restaurant

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Farms and Regional ProducerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986Long-standing relationships with local and regional farmers and food producers for sourcing fresh, seasonal ingredients. Partnership emphasizes sustainable and organic farming practices. Includes relationships with small-to-medium vineyards worldwide for wine program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blue Hill at Stone Barns: Dan Barber's farm-to-table benchmark in the NYC metro, defining the category in which Friend of a Farmer is positioned. Comparable on philosophy (single-farm sourcing, seasonality) and on the premium-event/dinner positioning, though at a substantially higher price tier.
• Rosemary's: West Village Italian trattoria emphasizing house-made pastas and seasonal produce, with a strong neighborhood-cafe/retail component (Rosemary's Bread). Comparable on cozy, locally-sourced Manhattan positioning and on combining dining with branded retail.
• ABC Kitchen: Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Flatiron-district restaurant focused on seasonal, locally sourced American cuisine in a rustic-chic setting — directly comparable farm-to-table positioning and Manhattan neighborhood to Friend of a Farmer's Gramercy location.
• Gramercy Tavern: Danny Meyer-operated flagship in the same Gramercy Park neighborhood, known for seasonal American menus and a tavern/dining-room format. Highly comparable on cuisine style, neighborhood, and target diner to Friend of a Farmer Gramercy.
• The Smith: Multi-location NYC American brasserie known for brunch, lunch, and dinner with a lively, all-day casual format. Directly comparable on multi-daypart service (brunch through dinner), Manhattan locations, and the weekday/weekend brunch traffic Friend of a Farmer cultivates.
• il Buco / il Buco Alimentari: Long-standing NoHo Italian restaurant with a sibling alimentari/retail market, built around regional Italian sourcing and rustic dining room aesthetics. Comparable on combining neighborhood dining, private events, and a branded retail/market extension in Manhattan.

Broad incumbents

• Dig (Dig Inn): NYC-born farm-sourced fast-casual chain serving seasonal bowls and plates. Adjacent on the farm-to-table sourcing philosophy that defines Friend of a Farmer, but at a counter-service, lower-price-point model with much wider geographic scale.
• Sweetgreen: Public, scaled farm-to-salad chain that has institutionalized farm-sourced menus across NYC and beyond. Broader incumbent in the same farm-sourced ethos; comparable on supply-chain focus but operates at vastly greater scale and a faster-casual price point.
• Eleven Madison Park Group restaurants: Daniel Humm/Daniel Humm's group operates multiple NYC fine-dining and casual concepts rooted in seasonal, local sourcing. Comparable on Manhattan presence and farm-to-table ethos; broader incumbent with fine-dining price points above Friend of a Farmer.
• Hillstone Restaurant Group: Multi-concept operator of polished-casual American restaurants across major US cities, including NYC. Comparable on multi-location American-cuisine dining format and full-daypart service, though at broader scale and a more standardized concept.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friend-of-a-farmer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friend Of A Farmer