New Restaurant to Open Summer 2005 Has its Roots in Local and Sustainable Farming

The founders and managers of a local organic vegetable farm will open a restaurant in downtown Athens called Farm 255. Located at 255 W. Washington Street between Hull and Pulaski Streets, the restaurant will serve brunch and dinner daily. Farm 255 will also function as full bar, hosting live music performances by well-known local musicians on select evenings. The restaurant will serve Mediterranean-inspired fare with Southern accents and dishes will focus on produce from small-scale farms, with an emphasis on sustainable practices and organic methods. Simple and seasonal menus will change frequently to highlight local produce at its peak. Farm 255 is slated to open in the end of June 2005 around the time of AthFest, a local music and art festival.

Farm 255's uniqueness lies in its commitment to local, sustainable farms. Inspired by a concept becoming more common in food-oriented cities such as New York and San Francisco, Farm 255 has created a network of local small-scale and family-run farms from which it will supply the kitchen. Working with the farmers' seasonal changes, low volume, and transportation challenges, Farm 255 hopes that its sourcing scheme will become a regional model for the food service industry. The restaurant's goal is to bring the story of the local farmer to the table, and to connect people to the source of their food. Growers, ranchers and fisherman that supply the kitchen will be introduced to customers on the menu, as well as through photographs and informational pamphlets. By providing simple and dependable farm-fresh food, the partners hope to educate about the benefits of returning to a local and sustainable food system.

In addition to local and mostly organic produce, Farm 255 will serve meat as well as vegetarian and vegan dishes. Meat and dairy products will come from animals raised or caught in a sustainable and humane manner, and will be hormone and antibiotic free. The menu will also showcase slow-cooked meats, in-house value-added products, historic recipes and artisanal methods.

With an open kitchen, large communal farm tables, and bar seating directly in front of the main activity of the kitchen, the dining room will have a casual and participatory feel. The vaulted ceiling, arched steel trusses, and large warehouse-style windows on the south-facing wall create a very airy and light atmosphere. There is a large patio adjacent to the main dining room that will have outdoor seating in the warmer months as well as a demonstration kitchen garden. Strategically positioned between nearby music landmarks The 40 Watt Club and Georgia Theatre, Farm 255 will cater to the late-night crowd on Thursday through Saturday nights with a full bar and limited food service until 2 a.m. The highlight of late-night food will be its signature crepe menu, offering farm-fresh fruits and vegetables in buckwheat crepes made with local, organic pasture-raised eggs. The bar will feature wines from domestic and international wineries and draft and bottled beers from small-batch microbreweries alongside a list of both traditional and innovative cocktails.

Farm 255 will serve brunch daily Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., dinner nightly from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., with the bar remaining open between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Farm 255 will also be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for late-night dining between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Sunday brunch will be served from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The restaurant will be closed Sunday evenings and Mondays.

For employment inquiries, please contact Jerid Grandinetti at 706-372-6474 or jeridg@aol.com.