Dan Simons co-created and co-owns Farmers Restaurant Group(FRG), which includes eight Founding Farmers restaurants across DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, and Founding Spirits, a restaurant-distillery in Washington, D.C. The group also operates a full-service catering and events company. Founded in 2008, the company serves more than three million diners annually and generates over $100 million in annual sales.
Simons, however, is not content to simply celebrate financial success. He uses his platform to show that business can and should prioritize mental health. By embracing employees as whole people, his restaurants demonstrate that treating staff with care and respect is both the right thing to do and a strategy for outperforming competitors.
Simon believes that while amazing food, drinks, and design are central to the guest experience, “The ultimate goal of Founding Farmers is to make people feel good.” This is accomplished by creating a supportive workplace where positive energy flows from staff to guests. This “functional work family” encourages open communication, truth-telling, and mutual support, helping employees develop life skills and healthier relationships that may or may not have been present in their upbringing.
He is aware of the societal taboos surrounding mental health issues which can silence employees and keep them isolated in their struggles. His employees are encouraged to discuss any ongoing stress or strains. He also does not shy away from the subject of menopause, which until recently was rarely, if ever, discussed in the office. Fostering openness in the workplace, even with simple acts of saying an encouraging word to a co-worker, can break down barriers and create meaningful change.
Simons is also quick to make the point that supporting employees’ physical and mental health is good business because creating a positive work environment directly impacts performance. His own restaurants employ systems and resources to foster support, including offering their staff access to licensed therapists and other mental health assistance, including FGR’s partnership with TalkSpace, making virtual therapy accessible to all employees and their families. This results in reducing turnover, strengthening morale, and improving his workers’ job performances. He frames investing in employee well-being as a capitalist decision that generates a high ROI by preventing talent loss.
Dan Simons’ journey in the restaurant industry began when he worked at TGI Fridays and The Cheesecake Factory, where he gained confidence, a love of service, and an appreciation for diverse teammates. As the son of European immigrants, he saw how restaurants could foster inclusion and positively impact lives.
Simons shares these lessons as an educator, teaching entrepreneurship to undergraduates at George Washington University, his alma mater. He emphasizes personal productivity, helping students focus on meaningful goals rather than simply maximizing output. He practices this himself, carefully managing his time as a restaurateur, teacher, podcaster, and speaker.
He also promotes entrepreneurship through his podcast Founding DC, available on all major platforms, where he interviews entrepreneurs and founders across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. He shares further insights on his blog, Dan Simons Says, and in August delivered his TEDx Talk, now on YouTube.
A sought-after speaker, Simons chooses engagements where he believes his message can inspire real change.
Both in and out of the restaurant environment, Dan is committed to proving that putting people first is always good for business and for life.
Article by Marie Robey Wood
Photography by Provided By Founding Farmers Restaurant Group
Originally published in Potomac Lifestyle