Old Mill Cafe opens with storybook walls

The Old Mill wasn't so old when the Burgess' began work in the early years of Leavenworth. But in honor of the family history, the Old Mill Cafe, opened by a fifth generation Burgess, will serve as part cafe, part museum for a founding family in the community.

Lyndy Burgess said her dream has come true, in opening the Old Mill Cafe, located in Plain near the hardware store and the storage facility.

"This is a dream come true. Dreams don't come true that often, especially dreams like this," she said. "I think I have the right people with me, helping me out, and a lot of family support. And I think this is really going to make it. I hope I can make everyone happy. I'm very positive and very excited and my family's excited. That's what helps, having that support."

A Cascade High School graduate and a college graduate with a degree in science and geology, Lyndy decided to go to the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Ore. in 2006. At 32, she is now the owner and chef of the Old Mill Cafe.

The grand opening on May 6, starting at 7 a.m., had already served approximately 30 customers for breakfast, including pancakes, bacon and eggs, before the lunch menu began. Breakfast is served all day. The "Midday Chow Break" menu includes burgers, fries, sandwiches, and a "little logger" menu for kids.

"It's always a dream, I've always wanted to open a restaurant so when the opportunity came, I was a little hesitant, only being out of culinary school for three or four years, so I thought, 'Am I really ready for it?'" she said. "But after a long discussion with my family, a very long discussion, I decided to do it after Christmas. I committed to it and have been literally watching it grow from the ground up and now we're open. It's a relief and it's exciting."

An additional cook and a couple of other staff members complete the restaurant. Graham Watson designed the cafe and built it.

Wooden beams separate the top of the dining room to the staged mill site above the restaurant, complete with mannequins working and eating in a mill along the wall. Axes, shovels, and plenty of Burgess family photos and photos of the Plain community serve as wallpaper for the impressive setting.

Wooden bar stools and tables with photos and stories shellacked underneath the surface complete the mill look.

"Graham must have been reading my mind because this is exactly what I had envisioned. Not in so much depth but the same colors and style I had wanted," she said. "Every table has a story and this is my family all around me. It's like a museum for us and it really takes you back."

The family support, Lyndy said, has made the experience a dream come true. Her grandfather, W.T. Burgess, and father, Bill, were in the restaurant on opening day.

"I'm just really proud of her. You want your kids to be successful and have opportunities and she's done it," Bill said, beaming. "I'll be eating breakfast here more than anyone."

Chelsea Gorrow can be reached at 548-5286 or reporter@leavenworthecho.com