Hospitality & Restaurants

A dark red logo for Founding Farmers with two stylized

Case Study: Responsibility Placed. Scaling with Soul | Founding Farmers Restaurant Group

Founding Farmers Restaurant Group is one of the DMV's most beloved and nationally recognized hospitality brands. The group is rooted in a commitment to sustainable sourcing, community-driven hospitality, and chef-forward menus that appeal to a broad dining audience. With locations in DC, Maryland, Virginia and beyond, the brand maintains a reputation as one of the region's most trusted and talked about restaurant groups. At MBO, we thrived on managing the PR complexity of a large-scale launch like Alexandria while ensuring the narrative remained personal, mission-driven, and focused. We’ve been honored to support Founding Farmers in elaborating on their narrative, building the right angles to generate outcomes, and create true positioning.

283,748,394

Audience Reached

$3,986,082

Publicity Value

197

Total Mentions = 1 year

THE CHALLENGE

The primary objective was to maintain Founding Farmers' status as a regional leader while aggressively expanding its footprint through high-profile openings. MBO Media was tasked with executing a year-round, multi-angle strategy to elevate the brand during the Alexandria grand opening and dominant award cycles. The goal was to ensure sustained, consistent coverage across national, regional, broadcast, and digital channels. 

STRATEGIES & CAPABILITIES

MBO Media implemented a strategic framework designed to drive brand authority through major milestones and recurring seasonal interest.

  • Capabilities: PR Strategy, Media Relations & Outreach, Event PR, Influencer Marketing
  • Strategic Pillars: Focused on the Alexandria grand opening, RAMMY Awards momentum, and seasonal/holiday placements

THE EXECUTION

  • Grand Opening Dominance: Orchestrated a wave of pre and post-opening coverage for the Alexandria launch in March 2025, securing features in Eater DC, Washington Business Journal, WTOP, and WUSA9
  • Award Recognition: Leveraged RAMMY nominations and wins to generate 15+ placements across high-traffic local outlets such as Axios, Washingtonian, and NBC Washington
  • National Brand Authority: Secured features in outlets such as Forbes and The Washington Post, extending the brand's profile to national audiences
  • Influencer Activations: Managed 35 influencers across six distinct campaigns—including Winter Menu launches and Bourbon Spirits promotions—engaging audiences with followings as high as 696,000
  • Broadcast Strategy: Facilitated broadcast segments on Fox 5 and NBC Washington to reinforce market presence during peak dining seasons
  • Established the Alexandria outpost as an instant dining destination and reinforced the brand’s position as a top-tier DMV dining institution

THE OUTCOME/METRICS

This wasn’t just "PR for PR's sake." By building a narrative that connects scale with integrity, we helped Founding Farmers translate its values into measurable momentum. This case study proves that MBO can handle the weight of an industry giant while delivering the nimble, creative results of a boutique agency. The campaign successfully transitioned Founding Farmers from a regional favorite to a nationally recognized authority on modern hospitality.

Testimonial

Dan Simons (headshot), Co-Founder, Founding Farmers Restaurant Group

“Mary Beth's firm is TOP TIER. Results, no smoke and mirrors (like so often happens in PR), and she and her team are fun to work with. I rarely endorse in the PR/Marketing space, because most things don't get results. MBO gets results.”

Dan Simons

Co-Founder, Founding Farmers Restaurant Group