About Field & Fork

Field & Fork brings locally inspired dining to the Plains Art Museum while creating another market for regional farmers, producers and artists. Like many new independent restaurants, our opening months have required more working capital than anticipated. We are asking our community to help us raise $6,500 by September 15 to stabilize the Bistro, support our three-person team and build more consistent customer traffic.

Visit the Field & Fork Website

Why We Are Asking for Help

Opening a restaurant requires paying for ingredients, payroll, rent, supplies and promotion before the business has established consistent customer traffic.

The Bistro currently generates approximately $6,000 in monthly sales. While that demonstrates meaningful customer support, revenue is still being divided between current operations and the essential expenses incurred while preparing the Bistro to open.

Reducing those opening-cost obligations will allow more of each month’s earned revenue to remain available for payroll, food purchases and continued service.

We have reached a point where additional working capital will give us the time and stability to increase awareness, develop revenue-producing events and grow Bistro attendance without sacrificing the quality of our food or service.

This campaign is not connected to fundraising by the Plains Art Museum. Field & Fork is an independently owned, for-profit restaurant and tenant located inside the museum.

How Your Support Will Be Used

We want to be transparent about what is needed and where every contribution will go:

$2,500 — Team and payroll support: Approximately one month of payroll for our kitchen and front-of-house staff while the owner/chef maintains Bistro operations, menu development and administrative responsibilities.

$1,500 — Food purchases: Seasonal ingredients and operating inventory

$600 — Rent: One month of rent for the Bistro space

$1,000 — Advertising: Increasing awareness of Bistro hours, menus, online ordering and special events

$900 — Event development: Planning experiences designed to bring new and returning guests into the Bistro

Contributions are expressions of support and are not purchases of meals, tickets, wine or other services. Because Field & Fork is a for-profit business, contributions should not be considered charitable or tax-deductible donations.

During the campaign period, we are expanding Thursday dinner service, increasing local advertising, building museum-event partnerships and promoting online ordering. Our objective is to increase weekly customer visits and establish enough recurring revenue to support normal operating expenses without further crowdfunding.

Ways You Can Help

Every contribution—large or small—moves us closer to a stable future.

$25 helps purchase ingredients for Bistro service.

$50 contributes toward food and operating supplies.

$100 supports staff payroll and continued service.

$250 helps fund a full day of Bistro operations.

$500 or more provides substantial support toward payroll, food purchasing and the essential opening costs that made the Bistro possible.

How the Story Started

Chef Maxx Lyman was raised in a family connected to the restaurant industry and inspired by the stories of a grandmother raised on a North Carolina farm. That influence led to participation in a high-school culinary program, a bachelor’s degree from the Culinary Institute of America and a place in the inaugural farm-to-table program at the school’s California campus.

After living and working in California, North Carolina and Montana, Chef Maxx moved to Fargo in 2018. Field & Fork grew from a desire to celebrate regional agriculture through seasonal menus, relaxed fine dining and meaningful community experiences.

The Bistro at the Plains Art Museum is the newest chapter of that work.

Field & Fork opened its Bistro inside the Plains Art Museum with a simple purpose: to create thoughtful, farm-centered food inspired by our region and serve it in a welcoming space where food, art and community can meet.

Since opening, we have welcomed museum visitors, neighbors and travelers for seasonal lunches and special dining experiences. Visit the Bistro for lunch Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or join us for Thursday dinner from 5–8:30 p.m. The Bistro offers an independent, locally focused alternative for guests looking for food prepared with care and a strong sense of place.

Every Little Bit Helps

If you are unable to contribute financially, you can still make an important difference:

Share this campaign with friends and family.

Visit the Bistro Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Order lunch for takeout.

Recommend the Bistro to coworkers and visitors.

Attend an upcoming Field & Fork dinner or special event.

Leave an honest review after your visit.

Leave a review on Yelp

Our Commitment to Supporters

We will provide regular updates throughout the campaign and during the months that follow. These updates will include fundraising progress, Bistro developments, upcoming events and information about how campaign support is being used.

If the campaign reaches its goal, we also plan to host a community appreciation gathering at the Bistro. Details will be announced separately. Attendance will not depend on contribution amount, and alcohol will not be included as part of any contribution.

Help Us Continue the Story

Field & Fork is a small operation built around a meaningful idea: food can connect us to the land, the season and one another.

We believe the Bistro can become a lasting part of Fargo’s dining community, but we need help navigating this early and financially vulnerable stage.

Your contribution will help preserve farm-centered dining inside one of Fargo’s most distinctive cultural spaces while giving our team the time and stability needed to build a sustainable future.

Please consider contributing and sharing our campaign.

Thank you for believing in Field & Fork and helping us continue welcoming guests to the table