Hello! This past Friday was a hoot because Johnny and I went out to dinner with my boss, Karnchea, and his wife, Pam. Karnchea and I have been working virtually together since January and it was SO nice to be able to meet him in real life! In collaboration with our website, Nightlife 330, we were given the opportunity to meet up with the owners of Akron’s Farm Table, have a meal, and get the scoop on the brand new restaurant. It was such a delight to chat with John, Amber, and their sweet son, Tristan, about the ins and outs of Akron’s Farm Table. It’s an amazing concept run by amazing people! Take a look at some pics and read on for a lifewithlilred exclusive interview:
LR: You recently had your grand opening of Akron’s Farm Table and how do you think things are going so far?
John: Slow. We just aren’t getting the outreach right now. But, we offer a good place to come and have a cheap meal that’s all sourced locally. There’s not many places out there that you can get the same type of ingredients for the same price.
LR: What was your inspiration behind opening the restaurant?
Amber: We wanted to make good food accessible in downtown Akron to provide that feeling of security to everyone. We wanted to show people that this is where we get our food from and you can make the same things at home too.
John: Our customers aren’t just dollar bills to us. We want them to be able to come here and have an escape for as long as they need but have the comfort of feeling at home.
Amber: We want people to come and have a cup of coffee, to enjoy our handmade desserts. We want everyone to feel like they can hang out and have a good conversation because everyone has their own story just like we do.
LR: Wow, perfect segue! Tell me about your story.
Amber: John and I met through Plenty of Fish six years ago in November…
LR: Johnny and I met on Plenty of Facebook ba dum chhhh.
Amber: I picked him up from a three quarter house for sober living, John is a recovering addict. I took him home, we got married a year after we met. I picked him up and just never took him home! We want people to know that change is possible and it’s okay to slow things down to get back to your roots.
LR: Your roots are a common theme on your Facebook posts and your menu is filled with comfort classics. What do you both bring to the table for food prep?
Amber: When we started this big idea, John said “cook what you know” and that’s what I do. I cook most of lunch and dinner and John does most of breakfast. Our son, Tristan, is a huge help too!
LR: Are these dishes things that you grew up eating?
John: Definitely! These are recipes that we have known and loved for a long time.
LR: What is your favorite item on the menu?
John: The meatloaf.
Amber: The meatloaf, for sure. We had a lot of trial and error and found that making it in a bread pan made it too dry and grainy. I didn’t feel good standing behind it because I would never serve anything that I won’t eat myself. So we came up with individual patties, instead. We try to think outside of the box so our food is made fresh and not sitting in a warming tray all day.
LR: Where would you like to see Akron’s Farm Table one year from now?
Amber: Open.
John: I want to bring the people here. I would love to create a space for people to sell their fresh produce and come together. I hope in a year people will be here to have coffee and enjoy local produce without driving to the farms.
LR: What would you like to say to your future patrons?
Amber: Come here if you want to slow things down and get back to your roots. If you want to support a small business, we’re a small business and we would love to see you!
Akron’s Farm Table is bringing locally sourced goodness to downtown Akron and it is a joy to see. We loved our evening at this new spot and are sure that you will too. Support local and check it out!
What is your favorite local restaurant? How about your favorite local artist or musician? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
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