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Founding Farmers is seeking Fairfax County approval to operate small on-site distilleries at its existing restaurants in Tysons and Reston.
The proposed distilleries would be located at 1800 Tysons Blvd. in Tysons and 1904 Reston Metro Plaza in Reston. Each would produce no more than 5,000 gallons of spirits per year for restaurant patrons.
The Tysons application allocates 16 square feet to the distillery, while the Reston plan allocates 12 square feet. The proposed distilleries would not receive separate advertising.
Both zoning applications were pending final Fairfax County approval as of Aug. 3. No projected opening date was provided, and detailed operating plans were not available in the supplied information.
Founding Farmers said the plans were still taking shape and that further details were unavailable.
The proposal would add small-scale production at two restaurants that already serve drinks made with spirits produced at Founding Farmers & Distillers’ Washington, D.C., location. The company’s D.C. distillery, Founding Spirits, produces or promotes vodka, dry gin, bourbon, rye, rum and whiskey. Founding Spirits describes its approach as using “age-old techniques mixed with modern-day expertise.”
Founding Farmers was founded in 2008 and operates eight locations across Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Its third Virginia location opened in Alexandria’s Oakville Triangle in March 2025.
The Fairfax County applications remain subject to final approval. The supplied information does not confirm whether either distillery has been approved or when production could begin.