The New Old Mill: Restaurant unveils renovation, new business hours
Published 8:14 am Thursday, July 11, 2019
- Diners to the Old Mill Restaurant will be treated to a new look after renovations were completed this week. Photos by Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Locals familiar with the former interior of The Old Mill Restaurant in Austin are in for quite a surprise the next time they stop in to dine.
After being closed for renovations June 24 through July 8, The Old Mill opened its doors again on Tuesday.
“We did some light (renovations in the past), but this one was serious – wall to ceiling, everything,” said owner Dave Forland.
Upon entering, customers will first notice the openness. Gone is the service bar on the right near the entrance. In its place are high top tables. On the left is a new bar, where the old coat room was located, as well as an open dining area that used to be enclosed.
Dave Forland, owner
“The clientele is getting younger,” Forland said of his decision to renovate. “Our two most popular tables in the place were the two high tops in the old bar. People are looking for a smart, casual atmosphere.”
But Forland also wanted to bring a touch of originality to the building.
“People walk in and think it’s the original ceiling,” he said. “We tried to make it look like it.”
The restaurant can seat roughly 80 diners at a time, a slight increase from the previous layout.
Along with the renovation comes new hours. Forland said The Old Mill will be open from 11 a.m. to around 9 p.m., maybe later for the bar, Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Old Mill Restaurant owner Dave Forland stands in the middle of the newly renovated building.
Forland also emphasized that a reservation is not required to dine at The Old Mill.
“As far as reservations go, our high top tables are non-reserved,” he said. “People think they have to have a reservation to come here, but we’re not reserving high tops. We will still reserve dining tables in the lower level basement, but we want people to know they don’t need a reservation to come here.”
For those concerned that a new look and new hours also means a new menu, Forland says not to worry. The menu has not changed.
“People do come here for beef and we do our fresh seafood,” he said. “People are looking for a place to go that maybe has healthier appetizer items – meat, cheese, bread, hummus, those sorts of things.”
The bar shines in its new location within the Old Mill.
