Corey Smith prepares to manage The Mill opening this spring
By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor
The much anticipated reopening of the historic Brammer gristmill on the Crystal River is near, though owner Turner Booth and the Fernhaus hospitality group have yet to name a date.
On March 1 they introduced The Mill’s general manager Corey Smith on social media. Smith, a native of South Haven and a University of Michigan graduate, returned to the mitten state and joined The Mill team last May after working in real estate in New York City and hospitality in Hudson, a town in upstate New York near the Catskills. Smith was general manager for three and a half years at Wm. Farmer & Sons, a 15-room hotel and farm-to-table restaurant serving southern-inspired cuisine near the Hudson River.
“That was where I absorbed the culture of hospitality,” said Smith. “I felt at home surrounded by a combination of thoughtful service and design.”
At age 30, he felt the pull to leave New York and return to Michigan to live closer to family, though he didn’t know what he would do for work. A mutual friend whose family had stayed at Wm. Farmer & Sons introduced Smith to Fernhaus designer Kelsey Duda.
“My search was short-lived once I met Turner and Kelsey,” he said. “They invited me to Glen Arbor in February 2022, met me at Art’s Tavern, showed me around, and drew me into this little community. This is a special project to which they’ve dedicated so much time and energy. Joining the team was a very easy decision once I met them and toured the space.”
Smith currently lives in one of the farmhouses on The Mill property so he can meet contractors, tradesmen and vendors—everyone involved in the renovation.
The Mill is close to hiring an executive chef for a 47-seat all-day café and fine-dining restaurant—a position it posted in early January. Coffee and pastries will soon be served in the onetime flour mill which was built in the 1800s and used as a recording studio in the 1970s. The restaurant may also open this spring.
According to Smith, the establishment will include a flour mill on site, where the team will mill their own grains and make breads, pastas and pastries. “We hope our bakery production takes off and we can supply baked goods to people around the County,” he said. “We’ll also have flour on sale on site.”
In addition to the café and restaurant, The Mill eventually plans to offer lodging, a gallery and museum, and health and wellness classes.
Smith has also worked with Booth and the Fernhaus team to renovate their properties at Leland’s Riverside Inn and Brew in Traverse City. Plans to revitalize the Sugarfoot Saloon property near Cedar are still under development.
