Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 8, 1994 TAG: 9405170004
SECTION: DISCOVER NRV PAGE: 60 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JOANNE ANDERSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They serve "the best prime rib and homemade onion rings in the valley," Mink wrote. He also can be considered somewhat of an authority on the restaurant, because he dines there on special occasions, when his company gives bonuses and on Fridays.
"We go over most every Friday night, sit in the lounge, enjoy the music, then go into the dining room to eat. Most of our friends go, too," he stated.
Mink and others joined to give The Farmhouse more votes as their favorite than any other restaurant in the New River Valley.
Kimberly Loan of Christiansburg wrote about the "fast, friendly service, excellent food and great atmosphere."
John Moody of Blacksburg likes the ribs, but also said it's one of the few restaurants with grilled pork chops on the menu. He's been dining there several times a year since the 1970s and thinks it's one of the best restaurants around.
And it all comes together consistently because owner David Leinwand and his people work hard and care. "We're not perfect," he said. "But we try real hard, and we let our customers know that if they speak to us, we have the staff and employees to handle any situation, so the customer will leave happy."
He tells employees that "without the customer, we don't have a job. If we meet their needs, then our needs will be met."
Coupled with this emphasis on superior customer satisfaction is buying the best product that can be found. "Prime rib is our biggest seller," Leinwand said, "and we pay much more per pound for what we buy, because that's the kind of product we want the customer to have."
Leinwand bought The Farmhouse in 1977 from Gene Thomas, who had opened it in 1963. Leinwand had no restaurant experience, but he came from a family that had always owned its own businesses. He also attended the University of Richmond business school.
His theory was that if he knew how to run a good business, he could be successful and learn the technical aspects of the specific industry. So, at the tender age of 26, he put himself to the test, buying a property with 100 seats and 11 employees.
Today The Farmhouse has 625 dinner seats, 110 lounge seats and 100 people on the payroll. The banquet facilities Leinwand added three years ago have enjoyed tremendous popularity.
One of the greatest tributes to any business is long-term employees, such as Henley Dobbins. The kitchen manager started working there 30 years ago while he was still in high school.
To what does he attribute the restaurant's success? Here's that word again - consistency. Oh, and a lot of hard work. "I think the technique of making a good restaurant is keeping a good manager and the same chef for a long time."
Speaking of good managers, Dobbins might be referring to Barbara Wade, restaurant manager for the past 20 years. She started as a waitress in 1963. In response to a request for a short phrase regarding the restaurant's success, she responded "we try hard."
And indeed they must, for Wade not only sees many repeat customers from her three decades working there, but she also sees customer's grown children coming to dine with their own families.
The staff's attitude did not escape reader Greg Smith of Rich Creek, who voted The Farmhouse his favorite restaurant because "the staff and personnel take pride in their restaurant."
by CNB