A hospitality-focused non-profit organization is setting out to prove that philanthropy, research, and fine-dining make excellent partners. The LEE Initiative is bringing M. Frances, a revolutionary not-for-profit restaurant and think-tank, to D.C. in spring of 2024.
The fusion establishment, opening at 1452 4th Street NE, will allow a team of chefs to search for solutions to problems facing the hospitality industry, ranging from sustainability to equity, all while feeding customers local, gourmet dishes.
A press release provided to What Now DC explains M. Frances’s fundamental motivation and goals, stating “The restaurant’s mission will be to serve as a think-tank project, implementing real time research and solutions for independent restaurants to be more sustainable, innovative and fair. With the help of university partners, mentor chefs, and an in-house research team, M. Frances will tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the restaurant industry.”
M. Frances will have a broad impact, well beyond the DC community. The restaurant will educate as much as it feeds. All findings will be published and made accessible to any interested parties, allowing restaurants of all sizes and locations to benefit from M. Frances’s research and experience.
M. Frances will be the first establishment of its type in the United States. The eatery’s focus on philanthropy and education will not detract from the incredibly high-quality of the dishes offered. The press release explains the cuisine, saying “The restaurant will offer a hyper-local and seasonal seven-course tasting menu which will be created by a collective of chefs rather than the traditional Executive Chef method.”
M. Frances is the brainchild of the LEE Initiative, a non-profit founded by Chef Edward Lee and Lindsey Ofcacek. Founded in 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky, the LEE Initiative’s mission statement explains “we saw a need for a more diverse, compassionate, sustainable, and equitable restaurant industry. We wanted to redefine what it means to give back to our local community based on our research, our experiences and most of all, our instincts. We are in the business of hospitality, helping people, and solving problems.”
M. Frances is aiming to invite guests to enjoy its unique dining experience in May of 2024.
