Wurst Kitchen Owner Has Plans for the Mill Tavern

A second suitor has come forward with plans for the Mill Tavern on River Street— one with a reputation that impressed village trustees on Monday.

Ed Schleining is the owner of the Wurst Kitchen, a 117-year-old business on Second Street in Aurora. The Wurst Kitchen is well known for its sausages and meats, and Schleining's family has owned it since its inception in 1895. Schleining has owned it for the past 17 years.

At Monday’s Village Board meeting, Schleining laid out his ideas for the Mill Tavern, which has been closed and vacant since June, and up for sale since August. Village trustees have said they would like to see the tavern converted into a restaurant, and that’s exactly what Schleining would like to do.

His plans include adding on a kitchen—the Mill building does not currently have one—and building a deli counter in the attached package liquor store. Schleining also owns the Blackforest Grill in Plano, and he said he would like to duplicate that concept in Montgomery, including the annual Oktoberfest party for which the restaurant is known.

Additionally, he said, he would like to use the Mill site for an outdoor beer garden and performance venue during Montgomery Fest. He is seeking a liquor license that would allow for beer and wine, hard liquor and package liquors, similar to the licenses he already holds (from the state of Illinois and the city of Plano) for the Blackforest Grill.

However, Schleining said, the Mill building is in “rough shape,” and it may not be economically feasible to repair it. Additionally, adding a kitchen would cost “$150,000 on the low end,” he said.

So Schleining also suggested tearing down the existing structure, planting grass, and then sometime in the future, putting up a new building that would suit his needs. 

Trustee Bill Keck asked just how long Schleining expected that would take. Schleining replied that it would likely be within two years, but said he couldn’t commit to a timeline until getting further into the process. 

Schleining is the second interested party to come forward with a proposal for the Mill. Last week, Montgomery couple Jose and Michelle Velazquez explained to the board their , with the possibility of adding a pool table and video gaming machines.

Trustees asked the couple about food service, and Jose Velazquez said they would have to “seriously consider” that request, due to the high cost of adding a kitchen.

The Mill remains for sale, and Schleining said that without securing a liquor license, he would “not be interested in making an offer on the property.”

Board members were impressed with Schleining’s proposal, with Trustee Bill Keck saying, “The ante has been upped quite a bit with this second offer, and I’m more interested in this than the initial offer. I very much like what’s proposed here.”

Village President Marilyn Michelini said she has known the Schleining family for “a long time,” and that the proposal is “what we would like to see for our downtown.”

But Trustees Pete Heinz and Andy Kaczmarek said they would like to see the Velazquez’s proposal go forward. Heinz said he was impressed at the Velazquez’s family-oriented plan—Jose Velazquez said he would hire several members of his family to run the tavern.

Trustees agreed to let both requests move forward. Police Chief Daniel Meyers said there is also a third party interested in the Mill, and trustees would most likely hear more next month.

The Mill has been for nearly seven decades. Alice Sutcliff owned and operated the tavern for 53 years before . Her family has subsequently put .