Photos by Karen Fien
Looking for an innovative Dinner Theatre experience? In August 2022, OFC Creations Theatre Center opened their Old Farm Cafe, 3450 Winton Place, Rochester, 14623. The Old Farm Cafe is open to the public for breakfast, lunch and later, and provides a one-of-a-kind adventure in dining and theatre.
The Old Farm Cafe concept comes from the imagination of OFC’s Executive Director and Founder, Eric Vaughn Johnson. The restaurant is another step in Johnson’s dream to, “Find ways to make common life activities into memories that will last a lifetime.”
Johnson partnered with artistic designer, Jack Haldoupis, to make OFC’s first expansion a reality. Johnson previously worked with Haldoupis on the Eddie Money original stage show production held at the Kodak Center for Performing Arts. Haldoupis is the former artistic director of the Blackfriars Theatre and has worked for over 40 years in theatre set design, production and direction.
The farm theme for the restaurant came about when Johnson was looking for something truly unique. “We needed a space for our students, teachers and parents to grab a coffee and some food,” Johnson said. They then decided to open up the restaurant to the community as a unique restaurant for a daily dining experience. According the their website, “Blending great food with a unique theatrical experience, guests will be immediately transported to a captivating and calming barnyard, giving you the feeling of enjoying a sunny summer day, no matter the actual Rochester weather.”
Every surface, including the floor, in the 3,000 square foot restaurant was hand painted by Haldoupis. Mesmerizing colors, greenery, farm implements, farm memorabilia, early morning sounds, and animatronics add to the ambience. The animatronics of two chickens, an owl and a rabbit, were custom designed by Luna’s Puppets out of Washington state.
The Farm Cafe’s gazebo stage will be the center of upcoming dinner/theatre productions, with up to 75 percent of the production taking place among the audience, a truly immersive experience.
The Cafe is managed by “Head Farmer,” Sarah Trine, a native of Upstate New York who has been working in area kitchens and theatres for the past 16 years. Sarah is proud and excited to join the OFC family. She loves honing her natural culinary skills. She specializes in menu planning, catering, and indulging a community’s love of great food. When she’s not tending to her menagerie of animals at home, including a small cast of chickens, she can be found gardening fresh ingredients or testing new recipes. OFC students and graduates round out the Old Farm Cafe staff.
The Farm Cafe menu lists a wide variety of beverages, including specialty coffee and tea, espresso, and blended beverages, all with farm themed names like When Pigs Fly Chai, Flew the Coop Cappuccino, Red-Eyed Rooster and the Wonky Donky Cooler. Food offerings for breakfast, brunch, lunch and later include choices for vegetarian and vegan diets. They include Open Faced Avocado Breakfast Sandwich, Flatbread Pizzas, Soup du Jour, Salads, Hummus Plates, Wraps and more.
The space is also available to rent for private parties, weddings, birthdays, corporate parties and get-togethers of all types. The restaurant can accommodate up to 160 people. There is an attached additional 3,000 square feet of space called Studio B. This space can be made to accommodate wedding ceremonies, bridal party preparation, cocktail hour or whatever is needed to create an onsite total experience.
For more information on The Old Farm Cafe, upcoming Dinner Theatre productions, the complete menu and rental information visit http://www.ofccreations.com
and Taj Smith.
