CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 47 T THE JOHNSON'S MILL, now known as e Mill at Puppy Creek, has been part of the landscape off of 401 near Fayetteville for more than 104 years. e old grist mill's stones standing guard at the front door ceased grinding back in 1964 when the mill was turned into a restaurant. rough the years it's been occupied by several restaurateurs and some—including the current tenant—say a ghost. In October 2016, Lisa Adams, a local business woman, saw the restaurant was closed from hurricane damage. She contacted the owner and shortly thereaer signed a lease. Aer months of cosmetic renovations, e Mill reopened its doors in February 2017. "It has been a labor of love. I've spent time here over the years and have always felt it was an amazing space. Someone needed to give the building some TLC. In my wildest dreams I never thought that it would be me," Adams said. Reopening an old restaurant with a new concept hasn't been easy. "We had a few bumps in the beginning. I had to figure out who shared my vision for e Mill. One of my best assets is my manager, Tonya Terry. She and I are working hard, sometimes 10 to 12 hours a day, to bring this restaurant up to its potential." "My goal is to create a restaurant that offers fine food and local cra beer at fair prices all in a relaxing, casual atmosphere. With three dining rooms, a full service bar and a deck that overlooks Puppy Creek, the possibilities are endless for this historic building. We are also able to host parties, from the casual to the more elegant," Adams said. For the first four months Adams managed the kitchen herself, but in June she handed the kitchen over to Executive Chef Preston Cravey III. "Chef Cravey has an impressive resume, but more importantly, he shares my vision for this historic building and understands what southern comfort food with a flair means," explained Adams. Chef Cravey heads up the kitchen of experienced Chefs: Bobby Gillespie, who has been at e Mill for eight years and has many local "food fans"; Nash and Nathan Woods, who have experience in fine dining restaurants in South Carolina; Jeff Garnes, who has experience in several outstanding kitchens in Fayetteville; Ashley Johnson, who is in her last year at culinary school; and Kim Wray, who is another long time fixture in e Mill's kitchen. Chef Cravey is looking forward to hosting special wine and beer pairings and focusing locally sourced, farm to table fare. e Mill at Puppy Creek is located at 1825 Johnson Mill Road, across from Bayonet Golf Course. Reservations are suggested at 910.878.0030. More information can be found at eMillAtPuppyCreek.com The Mill at Puppy Creek NEW LOCAL SOU THERN CUISINE S P E C I A L P R O M O T I O N A L S E C T I O N

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