Adirondack Daily Enterprise, February 10, 1965The Red Mill was a restaurant on New York Route 86 just north of Gabriels, built by Francis Mose.
Other names: St. Regis Inn, St. Regis Restaurant, St. Regis Suites
Note, there was a restaurant named the St. Regis on River Street.
THE RED MILL RESTAURANT by Mary Mose
One day in the summer of 1964 when Mr. Francis Mose was working at the Post camp, he talked to Mr. John Helms about purchasing land from him to build a restaurant. A lot of 1.92 acres was bought and surveyed by Mr. William Rutherford. It was a lot beyond the big rock which is still there.
With a load of blocks from Malone Concrete Products Co. a foundation was started. A load of lumber was brought to the site from Woodruff’s Mill. A building started “to take shape.” It consisted of a lunch counter with 25 seats and soda fountain, a small dining area with 32 seats, two bathrooms, and kitchen.
A well was drilled by Lewis Well Drilling from Ft Covington down about 130 feet with plenty of H2O. Equipment was bought from Baker’s Service in Malone. A sign was put up purchased from Snyder Signs, Madrid, NY. Others who contributed to the original building were Hulbert Supply and Plumbing; George Lamay, electrical; Trudeau Sand and Gravel for fill; LaMere’s Paint; and Smith Lumber Co. for paneling for the front counter. Dishes, silverware and other supplies such as placemats, napkins, straws, and extra pots and pans were purchased from Foley Supply in Massena.
Brighton History Days posterMost of the employees were hired locally. We hired a chef, short order cook, several waitresses, and the dishwasher, Ernest Jaquis and later David Keefe. The grand opening was held on February 11, 1965.
After several years we decided we needed a larger dining area and bar in order to take banquets and weddings, so a large addition was added in 1968 with 72 seats and a bar with 12 seats. A kitchen addition was also built. Ken Gilland employees did most of the addition, plus James Weir the painting, and Alvin Doty the electrical work.
After the restaurant closed and before it was converted to the St. Regis Suites (from Google Maps)We did our own pastry, pies and rolls. We had two menus: one for the front counter and one for the dining area. On special occasions Mrs. Martin hand lettered some colorful menus. We had a luncheon special to appeal to the working person and college student. On Sunday and special occasions we had a special menu. On weekends we had a prime rib special.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, November 14, 1967At first we purchased most of the meat from Bacons IGA; fresh vegetables from Flickinger in Syracuse; Tuckers potatoes; Norman’s Wholesale; Crystal Springs Dairy, milk and cheese; Bouyea Bakery, bread products. For the soda fountain we had Sealtest ice cream that had a plant in town, and Pepsi (later we got Coca Cola from Tupper Lake). We sold many banana splits and sundaes.
At first we fed Niagara Mohawk workers when they bought Paul Smith’s Electric. Soon after we fed Ausable Valley workers when they bought Paul Smith’s Company.
We applied for a liquor license that arrived on Good Friday and we could only purchase beer. Only beer could be served at the front counter. Soon after we started having banquets and weddings plus meetings by certain groups. Some of the banquets that were held were the Liquor Dealers Association, Potato Growers, Boy Scouts, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Catholic Daughters, bowling groups, many wedding receptions (mostly local): Lamay, Lancto, Lester, Tyler, Gillmet, Blanchard, and lastly, Mose, who was 6 months old when we opened and now was getting married!
We had customers from all sources: the owner of Kinney Shoe Store who always had Dubonnet wine and was a good tipper, the Maddens, and Mr. Rockefeller. Also a couple who worked at Will Rogers from St. Regis Falls. She had a teddy bear in the car whom she always took a doughnut out to. We never watched to see who ate it. On cool days she would have a sweater on the bear. There was a large family from Massena who rented a house in town but came out to the Red Mill to eat. They owned a restaurant (Guys Diner) in Massena.
We had many from the college: Mr. Hadley, Cole, LaBounty, and the office help came on Friday. Mr. Paul Pillis was a regular who purchased the restaurant from us in 1985. The students had a Halloween party - we found straw many months after. We had round and square dancing on Saturday night. Many ski-doers showed up - there was a trail back from the railroad tracks. On graduation day the restaurant was packed; we had as many as 10 help that day. Besides the help mentioned, we had a hostess, Nellie Williams and a salad person, Bertha Betters, and a bartender, Don Oliver.
"The Red Mill" by Pat and Tom Willis, photo of display taken 2/2009. Click on the image to enlarge the display. One winter the large dining area was used for Headstart. At Christmas time there were sleigh rides for the little ones by the Bankers. At New Years we put on a free banquet for the people. We had many Canadians even before the Northway was built. Also we had many busloads of students when they played sports out of town and others when they came to play in town. They called ahead to make arrangements for meals. We advertised on special occasions and even one time on Channel 5 TV. We received many restaurant magazines free.
How did the Red Mill Restaurant get its name? Mary Mose explains it was Bryce Levine of Bakers Service in Malone who suggested the name should be a colorful one that people would remember. There was a Red Barn Restaurant in another area - somehow the name “Red Mill” came up and so it was named. Some people still refer to the restaurant today (now officially the St. Regis Restaurant) as “The Red Mill.”
In 1985 The Moses sold the Red Mill to Paul and Ann Marie Pillis who renamed it the St. Regis Inn and who built the deck on the back. Later owners, Laura and Steve Eldred, changed the name again to the St. Regis Restaurant and added the apartment in the lower level. Today the restaurant, same name, is owned and operated by Jamie and Cindy Pinto.
Brighton History Days have been held one weekend each summer since 1994, sponsored by the Brighton Architectural Heritage Committee.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, November 14, 1967
...Francis Mose was praised for his initiative in constructing and opening the "Red Mill" restaurant, the only such venture for many miles. In addition , it provides year round employment for establishment is the first new business structure in the town for at least a score of years. He described his difficulties in securing financing. Banks other financial institutions are reluctant to lend money where there are no town provisions to guarantee land use...
A reader comments: "The Red Mill was a great place for many gatherings. In June 1969 the SLHS senior class held their senior banquet at the Red Mill."
