Steps for Starting a Farm-to-Table Restaurant
Thank you for considering what it takes to open a farm-to-table restaurant in Loudoun County! Farm restaurants provide unique dining opportunities, thanks to talented entrepreneurs like you.
This page is designed to give you an overview of important considerations before establishing a farm restaurant, but your specific situation may have different requirements. The Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance is the ruling document.
Working with Loudoun County and Virginia Commonwealth staff will help verify that those requirements are met. Our combined goal is to ensure that your operation is safe for customers so that your business can be successful.
Before establishing a farm restaurant, it is important to understand what is permitted with that use. Because farm-to-table restaurants support agricultural operations, you are permitted to provide the following on-site services:
- Preparation and sale of ready-to-consume food and beverages, produced primarily on-site;
- Carry-out service to customers, as long as it is not the primary business.
The majority of the food and beverages sold at a farm restaurant must be derived from agricultural products produced on-site.
While this page focuses on farm restaurants, think about what additional uses (if any) you might consider later. Communicating these additional uses to Loudoun County and Virginia Commonwealth staff up front can help avoid surprises later in the process. If you have questions at any point, please contact Loudoun Economic Development at 1-800-LOUDOUN.
Detailed contact information for County and Commonwealth regulatory departments can be found at the bottom of this page.