Learn more about a brand new restaurant before it opens this Friday, September 20th in the Judson Mill District near West Greenville. Welcome to Mill City Kitchen, a live fire cooking restaurant serving up pizza, salads, small plates and more. They will also have a wine bar and wine retail space featuring 100+ wines to stay or t0-go (no corkage fee!) We recently got the chance to sit down with their co-owner Jason Donnelly and chat about what we should expect from Mill City.
360: How did the idea of Mill City come to life?
Jason: After coming to Greenville to buy a pizza joint to invest in, my partner John and I discovered the “Mills” around the Upstate area and we looked at the first refurbished Mill (Woodside Mill), our minds raced and we both saw the same vision. These communites are like cruise ships. They have hundreds of people milling around (no pun intended) and we could bring back the “Country Store” aspect where we are the hub for the community. After seeing this space at Judson, we loved the vibrant district, the apartments (we live there too), and the ownership. They were supportive about our concept and understood what we wanted to bring to the campus.
360: What will Mill City offer that will be different from the rest?
Jason: We are going to offer live fire cooking. This won’t be limited to just pizza. We will be doing scratch cuisine for a quick service restaurant and upscale wine bar that is going to be something special. We have a friend of ours, Greg Reeves, who will be our Wine Director (he also the co-owner Noble Vice Wine Co.) All three of us worked at South City Kitchen in Atlanta back in 1997-98. Greg has a great pedigree and knowledge of wine and brings a laid back vibe to wine, which is very welcome change to most.
360: Are there any menu items in particular that you are excited to share with Greenville?
Jason: Obviously the pizza, but beyond that the Blue Plate special (we will offer during lunch). It’s just a fun way to do something that is fimilar and loved. The third thing is not one dish, but the randomness of our offerings. We love to cook. We are going to cook what we love. It will be inspired by our travels and the seasons. John and I have both traveled extensively and we have a lot to pull from.
360: What’s your favorite part of owning a restaurant?
Jason: John loves the teamwork and being on a “team”. He loves to see the smiles on peoples faces after they enjoy a meal. I similarly love the camaraderie that a team has. After not being in the business for a few years, that is the one thing I missed.
360: When you’re not working, what do you like to do in Greenville?
Jason: I enjoy golf, traveling and learning as much as I can. I also love to go see live music, drink scotch and eat good food.
360: Awesome. Thanks for your time and delicious food! Congrats on opening!
Mill City Kitchen is set to officially open in the Judson Mill District near West Greenville on Friday, September 20th. Their hours will be Sunday-Thursday from 11:30am-9pm and Friday-Saturday from 11:30am-10pm. For more updates and to follow along with Mill City Kitchen click here.