Restaurant Partner Chosen For The Mill In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A restaurant partner has been announced for The Mill, a southern market and kitchen slated for a historic warehouse on the Alexandria waterfront. Builder Murray Bonitt of Bonitt builders announced James Beard Award-winning Chef John Currence will lead the restaurant concept.

Currence, a New Orleans native, is best known for City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi. The restaurant has provided fine dining in the Deep South town since 1992 and earned Currence the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South in 2009. He has also opened Snackbar, Bouré, and Big Bad Breakfast in Oxford and expanded to new locations in Birmingham; Florence, Alabama; Homewood, Alabama; Charleston; Nashville and Inlet Beach, Florida.

Bonitt had been developing the site concept and found Currence through his friend Rick Jerue, chief of staff to the Mayor of Charleston, and founder of the annual Charleston Food and Wine Festival. Although Bonitt initially looked for something related to the Charleston food scene, Currence came up as a notable suggestion.

It turns out that Bonitt and Currence already had ties. Bonitt’s son Daniel is a student at Ole Miss University and took a liking to Currence's restaurants.

"When I visit my son in Oxford, the only place he wants me to take him is one of John’s places, so I was familiar with his food and knew he could deliver exactly the kind of food that would be perfect for the project," said Bonitt.

Bonitt is developing the southern kitchen and market at one of the last historic warehouses in the Alexandria waterfront. Located at Robinson Landing, The Mill will have a casual tavern and market on the first floor and an open kitchen with seating, a bar and outdoor balconies on the second floor. The warehouse previously served as a coopers shop and a mess house and commissary by the Union Army during the Civil War.

"When I heard from Murray and he explained the vision of The Mill at 10 Duke and the role I would play in bringing the culinary experience and culture to the Alexandria, I was immediately on-board," said Currence. "Coming to Alexandria and helping Murray and the team bring this exciting opportunity to life is something I’m proud to be a part of in this historic, waterfront community."

RELATED: Plans Detailed For Restaurant, Market On Alexandria Waterfront

The project is estimated to be completed in October 2021.