These are Our People

Maddie and Andrew Johnson are a husband-and-wife chef team whose lives and livelihoods have always been shaped by the kitchen: a place where work becomes craft, and craft becomes love.

Their story began at Usher’s House in Moorhead, where Andrew led the kitchen as Executive Chef and Maddie filled the space with warmth as the lunch chef, known for soups that comforted and lingered. It was there, surrounded by food and community, that they were married in a beginning as natural as it was enduring. Together, they are raising three children, Zayne, Kruz, and Lux, who remain the heart behind every table they serve.

Drawn by the desire to create something lasting, Maddie and Andrew followed their shared dream into ownership, spending seven years building The Lunchbox Eatery in Fort Ransom, North Dakota. The restaurant became a gathering place where scratch-made food, honest flavors, and thoughtful hospitality turned simple meals into shared moments.

Maddie’s culinary path began in Minnesota and unfolded in Fargo, where she chose experience as her teacher, learning in busy kitchens, late nights, and quiet moments of creation. Her cooking is intuitive and soulful, with a deep love for soups and pastas that nourish both body and spirit.

Andrew’s journey started in Lisbon, North Dakota, and carried him through formal training at Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis, where classical technique met a lifelong passion for pizza and timeless comfort foods. His career brought him home to Fargo, where years of leadership in respected kitchens shaped a steady, thoughtful approach rooted in tradition.

Together, Maddie and Andrew cook with intention and care, honoring the past while creating space for connection. Their partnership is woven into every menu they write, a natural reflection of this historic schoolhouse, where stories are shared, celebrations unfold, and memories are meant to be made.