Milly’s Wine Bar & Bistro: Born out of Friendship

Nestled in the Mill District of Minneapolis is Milly’s Wine Bar & Bistro. Opening its doors in the summer of 2023, Milly’s quickly became a place where many in the area could go to relax and spend time with one another while still feeling as safe and comfortable as they would in their home. While it now seems hard to imagine the Mill District without the eye-catching wine bar, there was a time when Brandon Witzel and the two other owners, Jill Mortenson and Kay Phillips, had not even met.

In 2013, 10 years before Milly’s opened, Witzel had not even considered becoming a restaurant owner. Instead, his days were spent operating his design business, Quinn Design. He first connected with Mortenson and Phillips through this business when the two had hired him to help design their condo. Soon, the three discovered that they had a lot in common. It wasn’t long before they found themselves not only becoming friends, but also deciding to join together as business partners. Through their combined interests and talents, they decided to work together flipping houses.

“I never, ever had restaurant on my bucket list,” Witzel says. “I have a design business by trade. … We became friends, and then we were flipping a couple houses. … And that building just kind of popped up one day as Jill was driving home from the dentist.”

Without a common space to meet and discuss their work, the three often found themselves seeking other places to connect, favoring those that served wine. Phillips and Mortenson longed for the same atmosphere they had found within their favorite wine bars that they’d frequent during their part-time residence in Manhattan, N.Y. Over time, they began to discuss the idea of an office space or other form of “commercial real estate,” according to Witzel.

As luck would have it, a charming brick building with plenty of promise opened up within the Mill District. Initially, the three had considered turning the building into a shared office. But as time went on, they considered doing something a bit riskier.

“We kept having meetings and finding places to have wine, and we’re like, there’s nothing in the Mill District. And we thought, well, they love wine bars in New York. We’ll just build one, and it’ll be kind of fun to have one in the neighborhood.”

Combining all of their talents, the group spent time working on bringing their concept to life. Witzel applied knowledge from his design business and his previous experience working at restaurants to help lay out the space and plan for the specific needs of the business. Mortenson and Phillips used their business experience to shape Milly’s as well. Further, they applied the things they learned through their many years of travel to help cultivate Milly’s into more than just a regular bistro — a space informed by different cultures and places.

“So, they live in the village in Manhattan part-time, and they have their favorite spaces. So, over the course of a few years, I went back and forth, and we explored those and looked at some new ones,” Witzel says. “And they travel pretty regularly, so they were sending inspiration from Paris and London … They’re currently in Sweden at a wine bar right now.”

In addition to taking inspiration from their favorite wine bars around the world, the owners of Milly’s take pride in creating a space that reflects their values. From something as simple as Witzel making sure to keep plenty of lively plants around, to the more impactful decisions, such as their choice to make Milly’s a welcoming and open space for all.

“Jill is very big into reading, so our entire building is a Little Free Library. Kaye used to be traveling all the time for work and always wanted a place where she could go in and feel comfortable without being harassed … So, the whole goal was safe for a single person or a single woman or a single man to come in and read in peace without being bothered,” Witzel says. “And then especially for us, since we’re 100% LGBTQ owned, to be a safe space for everyone.”

While Witzel never intended to own and run a restaurant, he, along with Mortenson and Phillips, quickly fell in love with the community that Milly’s has created. Together, they have pitched in ideas and concepts that have formed together to make the unique wine bar. But a good wine bar would be nothing if it did not have excellent wine, and Milly’s has that covered as well.

Since the beginning, Witzel shared that wine director Timothy O’Neil has worked with Milly’s to make sure that the wine is up to par.

“Our sommelier, Timothy, has been with us since day one … Every quarter, we switch it up to a different region of the world,” Witzel says. “So, we did, like, spring into Spain, fall into France. We did an American summer that was just coast to coast, and then now we’re gonna move into a European fall. So, it’s gonna be kind of like the smash hits that we’ve had throughout. … Our motto is come for a glass, stay for a bottle.”

For those longing for a visit to a space that welcomes everyone with open arms and serves delicious bites, Milly’s Wine Bar & Bistro may be just the place to attend. Once inside, expect to be greeted by familiar faces, both of the staff and customers. For more information about Milly’s, please visit their website at millysmpls.com.