A Spring day at The Old Mill
When Spring arrives at The Old Mill, it brings with it a renewed attitude to rising early. As Chuck, the head miller, plans out the day for himself and his staff, he begins to notice the sun rising earlier too. By his second cup of coffee, and probably his third task, he takes a moment to catch a glimpse of the soft morning light beaming through the old windows, catching the dust as it rises from the stones while they grind.
When you arrive, you’ll be greeted with a smile and a hearty “Good morning! Come on in!” If you’re here for breakfast, that’s followed up with “We’ve got a table waiting just for you.” Your server will show up with another friendly welcome as they set out glasses of orange juice and a basket of warm banana nut muffins. And if you’ve just walked in the door of any of our shops, you’ll hear “Take a look around and let me know if I can help you.”
In the morning:
Gather around a table for a big family country breakfast at The Old Mill Restaurant. You’ll be served freshly baked, hot from the oven, biscuits, along with our signature Triple Berry Jam, made by Fred and his crew in our Farmhouse Kitchen.
Purchase a bag of corn at The Old Mill General Store to feed the ducks along the Little Pigeon River. While you’re in there, pick up some stone-ground meals and flours for your next bake. If you need some inspiration, grab our Flour Power brochure and check out our website where we’ve got lots of recipes you can try! The millers have been busy all week keeping the stones turning and filling bags of grits, cornmeal, flours, and mixes. Did you know they tie each bag by hand and the shelves are re-stocked each morning? We can almost guarantee that the bag of grits you pick up today was ground only days before!
On the weekends, enjoy brunch at The Pottery House Cafe, starting at 10am. One of our favorites is the Cinnamon Raisin Pecan French Toast. The bread comes fresh from the ovens in our bakery. Lenin and his colleagues are also turning out dozens of loaves of other varieties each day, so stop and grab a loaf to take home. We’ll even slice it for you if you’d like.
The Easter Bunny will visit our Pottery House Cafe for Breakfast and Brunch on the Saturday, April, 19, 2025! We’d love for you to join us and stay for the fun activities afterward.
Come by on Easter Sunday morning for Sunrise Service with the Forge Church Of Pigeon Forge on the lawn of the Pottery House Cafe.
After breakfast you’ll begin to stroll across the street to our other shops that are just opening. Along the way you’ll often find Reece, our head gardener, and his staff watering, weeding, and replanting. Spring is our favorite time in the gardens all around the property. They’ve been hard at work, setting out over 11,000 violas that will keep color as cold mornings warm into spring afternoons, while the 4500 tulip bulbs they set out begin to reach for the sun. The varieties they’ve planted give a spectacular display of color and shape.
In the afternoon:
Grab a mid-day treat at The Old Mill Creamery and enjoy some ice cream, slow-churned right there, and stroll the river walk, where you’ll pass by our pop-up shop full of Vintage and Collectible must-have’s.
Wander the gardens all around The Pottery House Cafe and along the front of the shops to see the flowers and trees in full bloom. How many do you know by name? As you head up the sidewalk, you’ll pass by our Candy Kitchen and can see Luke, our candy maker, cooking up something sweet. And, we bet our antique taffy machines will be clickity-clacking away, while Jose keeps a close watch.
If you’ve eaten at our Cafe, you’ll find the plates you were served on being made in our studio at Pigeon River Pottery. Step inside to watch our artisan potters at work and take a moment to notice how we pull our surroundings into each piece, like our Flowering Dogwood glaze, named for the blooming dogwood trees you see along the pathway to the Cafe.
Buy a loaf of fresh baked bread and a tub of homemade pimento cheese at the Farmhouse Kitchen, along with some drinks, and don’t forget a jar of our Picnic Pickles to make your picnic complete. We even have tables right outside for you to enjoy the beautiful spring weather and all that blooms.
Come for a discussion and book signing with cookbook author, Anne Byrn, on Saturday, March 29th at 1pm in the back of the Pigeon River Pottery. We hear there will be some samples to taste and you can pick up her latest book, Baking In The American South.
As the sun begins to set, and the lamplights begin to glow, tables in both restaurants fill with the sounds of great conversation and laughs. Gather your family and friends to spend some time recounting the moments of your day and hightlights of your trip. You can enjoy a moment relaxing with a cocktail before or after dinner and take in the sounds of the Smokies as live music fills the air.
In the evening:
Early diners can enjoy our full dinner menu beginning at 4pm each day at both The Old Mill Restaurant and Pottery House Cafe. So if you have plans for the evening, you can still get a full hearty meal. If we’re part of your evening plans, our Cafe offers a lovely selection of wine to accompany dinner and cap off a perfect day.
Ladies, send the guys into the Old Forge Distillery for a free tasting, while you head over to Sassafras to pick out a new spring outfit, then meet up and stay a spell as you sip on a specialty craft spring cocktail as you enjoy free live music on the patio of the Old Forge Distillery.
Add a little nostalgia to your trip and find the perfect postcard in The Old Mill General Store to send to loved ones back home. There’s nothing like a Wish You Were Here from The Old Mill!
Find an after-dinner treat with a cone from the Creamery, a praline or bear paw from the Candy Kitchen, or perhaps a fresh baked cookie from the Farmhouse Kitchen and let the kids play games on the green by the fountain.
Before you head home, grab a few bags of cornmeal, grits, flour, some homemade jelly, a piece of pottery, a jar of moonshine, and a t-shirt to remember Springtime At The Old Mill!