There’s a vibe to a wooden interior. Some words come to mind, like cozy, warm and rustic.
Walk into the site for the future Mill City Kitchen and Mill City Wine — a concept formerly known as Mill City Pizza — and that’s exactly what you’ll find.
The dual concepts will be situated in Judson Mill District on The Annex side across the hall from Magnetic South Brewery.
The minds behind the concepts, Jason Donnelly and John Shepherd, first met in an Atlanta restaurant over 20 years ago. As a matter of fact, Donnelly was Shepherd’s first boss in a restaurant setting.
Today, both are trained chefs and entrepreneurs.
Over 25 years, the two friends found success in their respective ventures, converging at times in ways so pleasantly food and beverage that it would warm any current or ex-industry person’s heart.
“Jason moved to New York; I went to Martha’s Vineyard. We were basically both in the Northeast,” Shepherd said. “I opened a restaurant and called him to come help me.”
Shepherd later opened other food-focused businesses.
In the meantime, Donnelly worked as a chef and developed a portfolio selling cheese globally, eventually starting the American Cheese Co.
For that reason, when Shepherd first brought the idea to Donnelly in 2022, he turned down the offer. Having turned his focus to his cheese business, Donnelly felt he was “too deep” in his venture. After a Christmas trip home to Florida, he changed his mind.
What was once one concept became two. Still a chef-driven kitchen with a live-fire oven, it is now accompanied by a wine bar with a retail element.
The kitchen side will be open with an Earthstone Oven wood-burning oven, as well as a wood-burning grill, oven and range. The space will have a glass-enclosed dough room.
“You’ll be able to see us making the dough or mozzarella,” Donnelly said.
The menu for the concepts is expected to be fluid. The partners just want to put out good food. As for wines, expect unique wines that cycle often. The idea is to be affordable and intriguing, keeping the residents of Judson Mill Lofts in mind. Shepherd said he doesn’t expect guests to be drinking expensive wines every night.
“We wanted a place they can come all the time,” he said.
