The Plains Has a Front Porch, Back Porch and Side Porch

By Sophie Scheps

Food fanciers around the area felt the loss of Forlano’s Market in The Plains last year, even as whispers about a potential new restaurant began to swirl.

Then last February, rumor turned to reality when the old edifice underwent extensive renovations. The now gray and green building houses the modern, but still very casual, Front Porch Market and Grill.

William Waybourn and Craig Spaulding own the Front Porch and also have operated the Flint Hill Public House Restaurant and Inn since 2011. Both have proved to be popular destinations for locals and tourists alike. Their two general managers, Tammy Layne and Dan Myers, run the Front Porch.

Layne was the former catering and sales director at the Flint Hill Public House and was heavily involved with creating comfortable experiences for its guests. Now at the Front Porch, Layne uses her expertise to create unique farm-to-table menus.

“I’ve always been passionate about food,” she said. “It’s such a fun environment, that most of the time it doesn’t even feel like work. We like to sit outside and just watch traffic go by and just enjoy this place.”

Myers grew up in a restaurant family but did not pursue a food career originally. He had worked at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Canine Center in Front Royal. Now, he and Layne are responsible for the daily operations of the restaurant.

The interior of the 2,700 square-foot space includes downstairs seating inside, as well as seating on both the front and back porches. Even in the cold winter months, guests are happy to sit out back underneath the heated and cozy tent placed over the deck. Upstairs features a bar area with a television and additional seating.

“Tammy and I both said we wanted it to be fun and relaxed, a cool space to come hang out and feel comfortable,” Myers said. “It becomes a party atmosphere in here. Everyone mingles between tables and gets to know one another. Where else can you eat really good food and draw on the table?”

Layne said she loves to talk with customers about where they are from.

“We had one couple come in recently that had driven over an hour away to come here,” she said. “They’re in the restaurant business and had heard about the place from some friends in D.C.”

For the first few months the Front Porch was open, the downstairs featured a market with an array of kitchen and home goods sourced from all over the world. In order to make room for more seating, the Side Porch was opened across the street in the former Old Dominion Soap Company location. It now houses the collection and also creates a space for private dining.

“Tammy and I select goods for the Side Porch from a lot of different places,” said Myers. “We aren’t buying from big catalogs. If I can’t pick up the phone and talk to the owner I don’t work with them. It’s things you never knew you needed.”

The Front Porch and its 30 employees serve a crowd of regulars for breakfast (available all day), lunch and dinner. They also have carryout sandwiches available and catering services.

The Front Porch prides itself on sourcing the best possible ingredients for their menus and tries to support local purveyors of meat, vegetables and wines as much as possible. They are currently featuring many products from Whiffletree Farm, located just down the road in Warrenton.

In the new year, Layne and Myers said they hope to continue improving what they’ve already created. Now one of three restaurants in The Plains, the goal wasn’t to create any competition but to share a food-friendly environment.

“This is a place where everyone is welcome, including dogs,” Layne said.