THE BENNINGHOFEN STORY

Food. Family. Faith. Tradition.

The name Benninghofen reaches back more than seven centuries to Westphalia, Germany, in the area that is today part of Dortmund. Medieval records preserve early forms of the name Bennighoven and Benninchoven from around 1220, with Johannes de Benninchoven appearing in a documented record in 1268.

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At the heart of the name stood Haus Benninghofen, an old Rittergut—a knightly estate surrounded by farmland and the homes of those who worked it. By the early 1300s, records identify Heinrich von Benninghofen with the estate. Through the centuries, the property passed among several Westphalian families, while the surrounding farming community grew into the place still known today as Benninghofen, Dortmund.

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Centuries later, the Benninghofen story crossed the Atlantic.

John W. Benninghofen, born in Wülfrath, Prussia, in 1812, came from a family of silk weavers. He immigrated to America in 1848, arriving through New Orleans before making his way to Hamilton, Ohio. Beginning with modest means, he eventually became a successful woolen manufacturer and businessman. His story became one of craftsmanship, hard work, perseverance and building something that could be handed to the next generation.

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Those values remain at the heart of the name.

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Today, that tradition continues in a different kind of craft—not at a knightly estate, weaving loom or woolen mill, but around the table.

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We have grown up around the table.  Telling the old stories, passing down the family history through the generations.  Memories, laughter, a few tears, even a healthy argument.  Perhaps, in this day and age we have forgotten just how good being around the table can be.

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Benninghofen Table & Co. was founded in Missouri in 2026 to celebrate the things that have brought families together for generations: good food, shared stories, faith, hospitality and tradition.

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From an old German name rooted in Westphalia to a table in Missouri, the setting may have changed—but the purpose remains remarkably familiar:

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Gather together. Feed people well. Honor where you came from. And leave something worth passing on.

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