Three Years at The Mill

Glen Arbor’s old grain mill-turned-restaurant looks forward to a new summer

By Ross Boissoneau | June 14, 2025

The Mill in Glen Arbor is an example of an ongoing evolution. Built over a century ago to serve local farmers and residents, milling their grain into flour, today it is fast becoming a must-stop for visitors and residents alike. It offers freshly baked goods, a concise breakfast/lunch menu, and a variety of higher-end dinner options—make that supper options.

“Things are good. This is season three for the café and season two for supper,” says Chef Bobby Thoits.

The building’s previous life as a mill lasted 64 years, from 1879 until closing in 1945. It subsequently found use as, of all things, a recording studio. But its location in rural northern Michigan was too far removed from the bulk of the musicians who might use its facilities. Bob Kuras, owner of The Homestead, ended up using the decaying building as a storage facility until Turner Booth bought it in 2019.

Booth engaged Kelsey Duda of hospitality brand Fernhaus Studio to help him reimagine the space. Now, after years of reconstruction and remodeling, The Mill has been reborn as an eatery and event space. The home behind the mill has been remodeled into a three-room hotel.

A Long Road

But that makes the process sound almost easy, and it was never that.

Booth sifted through ideas for reusing the building, eventually embracing the idea of remodeling the old mill into a restaurant and event center with overnight accommodations in the home just behind it (the Brammer property). While a number of people rejoiced at the thought of the mill being restored and finding a new use, a vocal segment of the local populace objected, ostensibly to rezoning the Brammer property, fearing over-commercialization and environmental damage.

They ultimately forced a vote on the issue. At that public referendum in August 2021, residents of Glen Arbor Township voted to uphold the rezoning of the Brammer property.

With that behind them, Booth and company moved ahead with their ambitious plans, which have since come to fruition. The building itself has several levels, and is furnished with tables, chairs, countertops and accoutrements that nod to its history and complement the banks of windows.

General manager Corey Smith and Chef Thoits are key members of the on-site staff, who both returned to Michigan after spending time in the hospitality industry elsewhere. Smith is a native of South Haven and a University of Michigan graduate who worked in real estate in New York City before becoming general manager at Wm. Farmer & Sons, a hotel and farm-to-table restaurant in upstate New York.

Thoits grew up in Grand Rapids, working at restaurants in high school and college. He worked at Grand Rapids Brewing Company and met his now-wife, who had lived all her life in Grand Rapids. The two decided to expand their horizons while they were young enough to do so comfortably. Thoits considered culinary school, but one of his mentors told him he would only learn what he already knew and was getting paid for. With that, the couple moved to Denver, and after that to Montana.

Both Thoits and Smith eventually decided it was time to return to their home state, and ended up working together at The Mill.

On the Menu

Thoits says that his original goal for the restaurant was to be what he calls “hyper-local,” sourcing only from farms within a 50- to 100-mile radius. That changed as he broadened the scope.

“At the end of the day, it’s about trying to bring bigger-city techniques,” he says. He says rather than the popular term “farm to table,” he prefers to call the food “scratch to table.”

The menu for Supper at The Mill showcases Thoits’ penchant for using uncommon ingredients or combining ingredients in unusual ways. For example, you’ll find blue oyster mushrooms with cauliflower hummus and roasted almonds. Or heirloom nantes carrots with peanut brittle, yogurt, and chow chow (the vegetable relish, not the fluffy dog).

“One of my personal favorites is the turnips,” he says, pointing to the hakurei turnips, flavored with ramps (wild leeks) and spruce tips. “They’re salt-brined for two hours and acidulated with spruce tip honey.”

That’s right, he uses the citrus-like new growth of spruce trees. “We also had it for dessert, spruce tip ice cream,” Thoits says.

One of the most popular items currently is the duck meatballs, complemented by the herb salad and pickled ginger. “People are really digging them,” says Thoits. Main plates include pan-roasted chicken with harissa, radish, and summer squash, and king salmon with spring peas, wild alliums, and burnt eggplant puree.

And with all that, Thoits says the Mill Burger, with gruyere, caramelized onions, and crispy shallots, is a favorite of many diners, including his own family. “That was a request from Turner. It’s a standalone special,” says Thoits. While the menu will change every month or two depending on the availability of ingredients, the Mill Burger will always remain.

Community Centered

Thoits and crew do work with a number of local farms, including Loma Farm, Lakeview Hill Farm, Ken’s Farm, 9 Bean Rows, and others. The hope is that eventually The Mill will once again grind its own grain. But for now, patrons will have to be satisfied with the array of freshly-baked breads and engaging pastries.

Throughout the dining experience, Thoits is dedicated to educating people. Not in any pedantic sense, but simply by sharing his food and his knowledge, including recipes. “That gatekeeping never made sense to me,” he says. So if you like something you’ve ordered, simply ask, and he’ll provide the recipe.

That educational component extends to himself and his staff. “We always like to challenge ourselves. We try to find interesting ways to challenge ourselves. For example, asparagus: Last year we had [a] hot [dish], this year cold. We make our own vinegars, misos, preserves, so we use products no one else has.”

Now Thoits says The Mill fits comfortably into what he calls a burgeoning food scene in the region. And it’s been heartily accepted by the locals, including some of those who initially opposed the scope of the plans for The Mill.

Find The Mill at 5440 W Harbor Hwy in Glen Arbor. (231) 242-3224; themillglenarbor.com