KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. – Shawmut played an integral role in a milestone for the farmer-owned and supplied collection of restaurants, Founding Farmers, by building its first restaurant in Pennsylvania. With the restaurant’s first expansion beyond the DC metro area, it introduced a pilot program for a new café and creamery concept located within the country’s largest shopping center, the King of Prussia mall.

“Partnering with Founding Farmers to build this milestone location was meaningful for our team on several levels,” said Randy Shelly, vice president at Shawmut. “Not only did we appreciate working with a brand that shares Shawmut’s values of quality, transparency, and innovation, but we’re proud to play a role in expanding Founding Farmers’ footprint with a new retail offering.”

Founded and owned by the North Dakota Farmers’ Union (NDFU), Founding Farmers selected Shawmut to oversee the new location’s fit-out within a newly built shell in the mall. Shawmut worked closely with Gensler and Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group (representatives for the NDFU) to complete the 14,300 square-foot outpost, which includes a ground floor First Bake Café & Creamery, a new concept complete with a full-blown retail bakery and creamery. The second floor features the main restaurant, bar, café, kitchen, and a private dining room accessed via a hidden bookcase.

The $5.4 million project was completed in 20 weeks for an on-time opening in October 2017. In addition to the overall fit-out, the Shawmut team focused on installing new partitions, ceilings, finishes, custom millwork, and addressing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing needs throughout the space.

Founding Farmers is a collection of restaurants majority-owned by more than 47,000 family farmers who strive to work hard and operate with a genuine concern for the land and surrounding community. Its location in Pennsylvania’s King of Prussia mall represents its eighth location nationwide and is the latest project in the Shawmut hospitality division’s pipeline, which includes Eleven Madison Park in New York City, Nobu DC and Newport Beach, Benihana Chicago, and Felix in Los Angeles.