Popular Plymouth-based Farmers Barn doubling number of pizzerias
Ben Barnes stands outside his Farmers Barn location in Livonia on the day of its soft opening.
Perfecting a farm-to-table pizza concept that has its fans’ tastebuds yearning for more, Farmers Barn Pizzeria has opened its second Five Mile Road location in just seven months.
Owner Ben Barnes, a resident of Plymouth and the general manager of two French Toast eateries in Plymouth and Canton, has expanded his fresh and appetite-pleasing brand’s footprint to 37625 Five Mile Road in Livonia — just a few miles west of the original restaurant located at 40420 Five Mile Road.
As he talked about the growth of Farmers Barn during the July 16 soft opening of the Livonia site, Barnes wanted to clarify something to the growing legions of regulars who’ve visited the Plymouth eatery.
“When people heard we were opening a Farmers Barn in Livonia, they assumed we would be closing the Plymouth store,” Barnes said. “That is not the case. The Plymouth store is doing great and will remain open.”
No sluggish after-meal feeling
The growing popularity of Farmers Barn is focused on its mission to deliver delicious pizzas and other comfort-food selections that don’t make its consumers feel bloated and sluggish post-meal.
“We specialize in farm-to-table ingredients,” said Barnes. “The farm freshness angle combined with my last name is how we came up with the name.”
During the initial weeks after opening in Plymouth, Barnes said he heard nothing but positive comments about his product.
“Numerous customers have told us it’s the best pizza they’ve ever tried,” he said. “One review stated, ‘The only negative comment I have about your place is that the food is so good, I’m not going to be able to fit in my pants next week’.”
Barnes’ second Farmers Barn location — situated in a shopping complex just west of Newburgh Road — is perfect for his brand, he emphasized.
“Our Plymouth location is nice, but you have to know where you’re going; there’s not nearly as much traffic that passes it as this store,” he said. “With this location, in a busy shopping complex, people will stumble on it, decide to try it and, hopefully, become regular customers.
Perfect location
“I love this site because it is surrounded by neighborhoods and is a short drive from a lot of business offices and St. Mary’s Hospital. We’re confident it is going to do really well.”
While the Livonia location’s menu will mimic the Plymouth site’s menu, there is one major change taking place at the Livonia store, Barnes revealed.
“We’ll be open for lunch at the Livonia location, which isn’t the case in Plymouth,” he said. “There are so many offices around, it only made sense to open for lunch. Plus, one we celebrate our grand opening, we’re going add more pasta options.”
The Livonia facility is much larger than his Plymouth location, Barnes noted.
“The kitchen area here is four times what we have in Plymouth, so we’ll use this to store to keep ingredients like dough and other items for when we open additional stores.”
In addition to the fresh, delicious menu items, Barnes said he feels Farmers Barn has become a hit thanks to a non-edible factor.
“A lot of people love our customer service,” he noted. “One of my biggest things is when a customer walks in our stores, our staff greet them with a ‘Hello!’ and a smile. Even though it’s not a dine-in business, we want all of our customers to feel welcome.”
Loads of ambition
Barnes’ mark on the local restaurant map will expand again later this summer with the opening of Bun & Patty Co., a gourmet burger restaurant which will be located in the former Tubby’s Sub Shop next door to the Livonia Farmers Barn.
“These are exciting — and busy — times for us,” he said, smiling.
The hours of operation for the Livonia Farmers Barn are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays; 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays; and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
