Farmer's Table to close its North Palm Beach restaurant after struggling to draw customers

NORTH PALM BEACH — Say your farewells to the flatbreads, salads and Sunday buffet brunches aesthetically plated by the Farmer’s Table staff at North Palm Beach Country Club over the past five years.

The upscale, clean-eating restaurant nestled into the country club's clubhouse off U.S. Highway 1 is closing its doors.

Farmer’s Table's lease at the country club ends in December, but its owners may close the eatery sooner if the village finds a new vendor to open in its place, according to Village Manager Chuck Huff.

Huff said the restaurant has struggled to attract a steady customer base since the COVID-19 pandemic, when restaurants closed and people stopped venturing out to eat for months on end.

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“I don’t know if (Farmer’s Table) took off in northern Palm Beach County,” Huff said. “It’s a farm-to-table at a golf course, and golf course people like hot dogs and hamburgers.”

Farmer’s Table has one other location off Military Trail in Boca Raton, which is staying open.

The village hopes to welcome a new restaurant to the country club by Oct. 1, Huff said. Its staff will evaluate bids from different restaurants at the end of this month, and the Village Council will choose one by August, he said.

Eight restaurant owners have already expressed interest in leasing the space.

“There are a lot of qualified food operators that are dying to come here,” Huff said.

Farm-to-table restaurants suffer after COVID-19

The farm-to-table restaurant model followed by businesses like Farmer's Table was disrupted during the pandemic with farms slowing production over a loss of labor, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Farmer’s Table tried to combat these effects in November 2023, when its owners merged with NPB Public House, a laid-back, tavern-style eatery at the country club. They did so to offer comfort foods such as hamburgers and french fries to their patrons, who often asked for American favorites.

“It took a lot to get french fries in,” said Huff with a chuckle, who added that its staff did a "good job" navigating the loss of customers. “It’s unfortunate that they decided to move on."

Huff said he would "fight hard" to encourage the new vendor to employ the current workers at the North Palm Beach Farmer's Table.

The restaurant's owners did not reply to a request for comment from The Palm Beach Post.

Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Farmer's Table restaurant at North Palm Beach Country Club to close