Road Trip: These US Foods® Customers Are Making it Work in Washington, D.C.

As a cosmopolitan city with about 2,500 restaurants, surrounded by more metro areas in other states, Washington, D.C. has a restaurant scene that’s as diverse geographically as it is culturally. As far as the food scene, “I’m seeing a lot of mashups of cuisines right now – modern Caribbean, Levantine, new Mexican,” says Food Fanatics^® Chef John Leavitt, based just outside the city. “D.C. is very diverse, with people from around the world, so we’re used to seeing a lot of different flavors working together.”

Darin Redwine, US Foods Regional Sales Manager, based in the area, agrees. “The restaurant industry in Washington, D.C., is one of the nation’s most diverse, and stepping into a kitchen here is like stepping into a living atlas,” he says. “Ethiopian, Salvadoran, Korean, Indian, Caribbean and Middle Eastern culinary influences blend seamlessly with American innovation.

Our guests are equally diverse, with embassy staff grabbing quick breakfasts before policy briefings and Hill aides and federal workers lining up for salads, noodles or pupusas at lunch. Evenings fill with families, students, diplomats and visitors from every continent. When people think of D.C., they picture monuments. Locals know the real monuments are the restaurants that connect our communities.”

Here’s a look at the more established US Foods customers and city newcomers making it all work.

THE VETERANS

Founding Farmers

Located just blocks from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, Founding Farmers is one of the city’s OG farm-to-table restaurants, created in 2008 by restaurateurs Dan Simons and Mike Vucurevich, in partnership with the North Dakota Farmers Union. It’s one of the few restaurants in the country majority-owned by American family farmers, and the menu focuses on scratch-made American comfort food and brunch dishes using seasonal ingredients.

Click here to learn more about Simons’ story and the Founding Farmers concept.

Cordero Hospitality Group

Led by 40-year restaurateur Mike Cordero, Cordero Hospitality Group operates several restaurant concepts across the Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia region, including Don Tito, the original concept that opened in 2014, as well as Rockwood (2018), Big Tony’s Pizza (2021) and Taco Rock (2023). In March 2024, Cordero returned to his Italian culinary roots with Carbonara Old School Italian & Wine Bar in Arlington, a high-energy, experience-driven concept centered on tableside theatrics and classic Italian dishes.

Building on its success, a second Carbonara location is set to open this summer in Gainesville, Virginia, featuring the same menu and interactive dining format that has quickly made the brand a standout in the market.

Learn more about Cordero’s story and his concepts.

Unconventional Diner

Chef David Deshaies opened Unconventional Diner in May 2017, bringing a chef-driven approach to classic American diner fare in Washington, D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood. The restaurant reimagines familiar comfort foods with refined techniques, seasonal ingredients and house-made breads and pastries, offering an all-day menu that balances nostalgic dishes with modern flavors like fried chicken with honey butter, shrimp and grits, cinnamon rolls, and meatloaf with mashed potatoes.

Ford’s Wicked Catering + Ford’s Fish Shack

Chef and pitmaster Tony Stafford founded Ford’s Wicked Catering in 2010 in the Washington, D.C. region (Ford’s is short for Stafford), building a reputation for wood-smoked barbecue and large-scale event catering. The brand later expanded with Ford’s Fish Shack, a casual seafood concept with locations in Ashburn, Lansdowne and Chantilly, Virginia. Known for fresh seafood flown in daily, all processing takes place in the catering commissary, supplying the restaurant’s famous lobster rolls, fish & chips and New England clam chowder.

Learn more about Stafford’s story and his concepts. 

Andy’s Pizza

Founded by pizzaiolo Andy Brown in 2018, Andy’s Pizza has become a well-known neighborhood slice shop known for its New York-style pies and wins at the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas. Since starting as a neighborhood pizzeria in the Atlas District, the multi-unit operator has expanded to several locations across the region, with a focus on naturally fermented dough and high-quality toppings.

Learn more about how Brown creates culture at Andy’s. 

Fish & Fire Food Group / Tony & Joe’s Seafood Place

Led by seasoned restaurateur Greg Caston, Fish & Fire Food Group is a family-run seafood operation rooted in Tony & Joe’s Seafood Place, a Georgetown waterfront institution opened in 1987 by Caston’s uncle. Today, the group spans multiple concepts, including Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated The Tavern at Ivy City Smokehouse, The Point DC and The Strand.

Learn more about Caston’s story and his restaurant concepts. 

Check out the Restaurant Unstoppable podcast to hear conversations with these US Foods customers!

THE NEWBIES

Ingle Korean Steakhouse
Opened: 2024

An upscale take on Korean barbecue featuring premium beef, house-made banchan and modern tabletop grilling in a sleek dining room.

Onggi
Opened: 2024

Onggi takes its name from the traditional Korean earthenware vessels used for fermentation—the foundation of many of its menu items like housemade kimchi and other fermented veggie dishes alongside modern Korean barbecue and seafood pancakes.

The Occidental
Reopened: 2023

One of Washington, D.C.’s most historic restaurants from 1906. The Occidental’s remake features an updated menu blending classic American steakhouse and seafood traditions like crabcakes, oysters Rockefeller, prime steaks and roast chicken.

Cowbell Seafood & Oyster
Opened: 2024

This casual, coastal-inspired seafood concept in the Union Market neighborhood is known for its lively oyster/raw bar, seafood towers, lobster rolls, fried fish sandwiches and fish baskets.