Founders Cafe

Very accommodating to the large group i came in with. The place is small but roomy. The food was liked by all and the manager was very sweet!

Great place with delicious breakfast sandwiches. Their bagels were crispy on the outside and chewy fluffiness on the inside which is exactly how you want them. Coffee is bold flavorful and their prices are very very reasonable for being downtown. This place is hard to find and its one those types where someone you know takes you there because you never knew it was there and you are thankful they did. Highly recommended.

A little hidden gem, I adore this place. Great cold brew, and also the friendliest staff. Quiet and tucked away, this would be the perfect little place to hideout and read a book. You wouldn’t realize you were in the middle of downtown Rochester!

Great ambiance, friendly staff, and good food/​coffee. What more could you want?

We were doing business downtown and looking for a close-​by lunch, so we tried Founders based on other reviews. We both had the same selection recommended by the staff, so this review is limited in scope. The seafood bisque tasted homemade, assumed but not verified. Served in a real bowl with a plastic spoon it was a nice starter. We had been offered a sample of their chicken salad, so how could we not choose that on toasted wheat bread with a pickle on the side. Many other sandwich, panini, and wrap selections to choose from.
Founders is located in an historic building, now housing mostly offices. From the Fitzhugh St side, you wouldn’t know it was there except of a little billboard sign out front. It’s just a half-​block off Main St., convenient if you are doing business on the west side of the river. You order at the counter and food is delivered to comfortable tables in a nice, bright atmosphere. Staff was very friendly. Would go back if in the area (our parking was paid by our appointment afterwards), but would not necessarily making it a destination lunch as we’d have to pay for parking in a garage or at a meter.

Food was amazing. The coffee was great and well prepared!

One of my favorite veggie paninis I’ve had so far in my life. The veggies are marinated and seasoned so it adds some major flavor to the sandwich, which is pressed and served warm with chips on the side.
I haven’t tried the coffee yet, since I’ve been sticking with tea options. They have a good mint tea that I go for so as not to max out my caffeine intake for the day.
It’s a great place for a downtown meeting. They have wifi and tons of spots to sit and get work done. They also have a large table for group dining. It gets busy during the lunch hour as the downtown folks come in to eat.
Street parking is available on School Alley or across the way in the parking garage on the corner of Fitzhugh and Broad St.

I have gone here for lunch multiple times since its so close to my office. I really like the décor and how it matches the name. I like most of there good but they are pricey.

I just paid $ 13 for a sandwich, a bag of chips and a Diet Coke. Is this Monaco? Someone, anyone, please open a café in downtown Rochester with outdoor seating and pledge not to extort customers. I look forward to patronizing your establishment.

Very nice café that is very well put together. I was looking at a loft in this building which is exceptionally nice and well maintained. The owner is very nice and also owns the café that I ate at. The food was very flavorful and had character. The owner is Brazilian so he knows all about flavor. In the end I did not go after the loft due to my own needs for more space. However, it would have been awesome to be able to just walk downstairs to this tastey lil spot.

This tiny café is secretly tucked away downtown near the Monroe County Executive Building inside a residential loft building. The staff were very pleasant and the food was very tasty and I would love to make this location a regular hotspot. However, I feel that the biggest draw back to this café is that fact that it is located downtown which means that parking is very hard to come by and that you will likely have to pay for it.

Good food, fast service. I’ll go back and always look forward to lunch whenever someone suggests this place.

Founders Café is becoming my go-​to lunch spot — the Founders Favorite salad is my personal favorite.
Prices are reasonable for a downtown lunch and the selection is great. Every once in awhile they seem to run out of things (once they didn’t have dried cranberries for my salad; another time there was only spinach for salads rather than mixed greens) but nothing that will keep me away.
There is seating inside, and outside too for when the weather is nice. Great option for downtown lunch!

Founders Café offers a full menu of breakfast items, sandwiches and wraps, panini and salads. Their Italian Trio Wrap with Genoa salami, ham, capicola, provolone, mesclun spring mix, red onion, and fresh sliced vine tomato and Horseradish-​Chive dressing was outstanding. They also offer a full coffee menu. The service is friendly too.

Took too long (over ten minutes) to «grab n’ go» from their cold case. They have just one register, and people ordering from ‘grab n’ go” and from the menu stand in the same line. Undercuts the experience. Building and décor look nice. Seems like they are still working out the kinks.