Coltin Black has an entrepreneurial mindset. He is always looking for a project and a new challenge to conquer. Two years ago, he loaded up his wife Kathryn and their two children and left the big city for Zephyr, Texas. They purchased a ranch five miles from Zephyr to pursue their passion in the farm and ranch industry. Today, they are the owners and operators of Kelly Hair sheep where they raise champion show lambs.
“I was born in Dublin, but I did not know a thing about Zephyr when we moved here. We enrolled our two kids in the Zephyr I.S.D. and began to get involved in the community.”
With the lamb business up and running, Cotlin’s entrepreneurial mindset had him looking for a new project to tackle.
“I began looking for a spot to turn into a small hotel, or even an Airbnb. Possibly even fixing up an old house. We have a lot of guests, family and friends that visit our ranch. It would be nice to have a place for them to stay besides our guest room. So, I started to look for a spot in Zephyr to do that. A friend of mine in the real estate business sent me a pin of a place for sale. He said, ‘I found a building in Zephyr for sale, but it’s not a building,’ and he was right. I remember standing out in front of the building wondering where the rest of it was. There was no roof and no floor.”
Little did Coltin know, but he was standing in front of a landmark in Zephyr – Petty’s Grocery and Feed Store. Joy and Norman Petty ran the store for 49 years, serving their community with authentic hometown service. The building also housed the H.E. Cobb Mercantile Company in the early 1900’s, and the W.R. Shelton General Mercantile in the thirties. The building was nearly wiped off the map when a tornado ripped the roof off in 2019.
“When we first walked in the building, I was a definite no. I’m all about projects, but this was way more than I wanted to take on. But my wife, Kathryn, wanted it. She fell in love with the brick. You can’t duplicate that look no matter how much money you spend.”
With the property purchased, Coltin hit the ground running. The day after closing, he had equipment on-site to begin the renovation. Focused on building a private space for their guests to stay, he mapped out his plans and went to work. Of course, Zephyr is a small town, and it didn’t take long for the locals to stop by to see what all the commotion was.
“When I would tell them I was going to use it for personal use, they all seemed so disappointed. Everyone had a story, a memory of this building, and plenty of ideas of what I should do with it. Even though it has sat empty for decades, there is still a strong emotional connection to this place. So, I asked myself, am I being selfish?”
The more visitors that dropped by and shared their stories about the building and what it meant to them personally, the more Coltin felt a sense of doing something for the community.
“I went from doing something for myself to doing something for Zephyr. One of the very first things I did was hire Celty Kearney from Blanket to paint a giant mural on the side of the building that says, ‘Welcome to Zephyr.’ I wanted the community to know that I committed to this. We started a Facebook page, and we were inundated with positive messages from people all over who had been to this store. It was unreal.”
With his background primarily in real estate and show lambs, Coltin had zero restaurant experience.
“None, but I know a lot of things revolve around food. I didn’t know anyone in Zephyr or what the town really needed. Then I met Heather Lewis at one of my son’s football games. Her husband coaches the team and we immediately hit it off. She was really my first local contact. She has really deep roots in this community. We began to bounce ideas off of each other.”
Heather was born and raised in Zephyr, she moved away to Richland Springs for a few years, but when her husband retired from the military, they moved back to Zephyr with their three children.
“I love Zephyr. My family is invested in this community. My husband Aaron owns Lewis Welding and Construction here in town. Our children go to school here and we go to church just a few blocks over. I came to Petty’s as a kid. We’d walk down from school and get a snack. Mrs. Petty would just print our name in a notebook and our parents would come by later and pay. This building is full of memories for so many people.”
It did not take long for Coltin to realize he needed someone like Heather to help him get this project moving along.
“One day while we were visiting, I halfway joked that she should quit her job and come run the place for me. Not too long after that conversation, I hired Heather to manage day to day operations.”
With his team in place, Coltin began to put the finishing touches on his new project. After the damaging tornado in 2019, the bricklayers who repaired the building outlined “THE MILL” in brick above the main entrance. Neither Coltin nor Heather know why that name was designed in the brick, but it seemed to fit, so the new spot to gather your family to enjoy a good meal was named, The Mill at Zephyr.
Their kitchen offers signature pizzas that highlight the “Zephyr.” A meat lover’s dream with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and beef. A customer can also create their own pizza by choosing from a long list of fresh ingredients. All the beef that comes out of the kitchen is purchased locally from Keefer Farms, right down the road in Comanche.
A variety of salads will be available, along with fresh pies and gourmet cheesecake. A wide selection of Texas based products will be available for purchase including hats from the widely popular Sendero company.
Although it has been long hours for Heather preparing for the grand opening, she feels blessed to be a part of making new memories for their customers.
“Coltin and Kathryn have done so much for this community. They have only been here a few years, but her impact is significant. They care about Zephyr, and they want to see it grow. I hope the community will respond with pride. We have six employees; all are from here. Four of them go to Zephyr high School and it’s their first job ever. We even hosted Zephyr’s Senior Prom here recently. This building has made a lot of fond memories for people over the years, including myself, and we hope to make even more here.”
Even though Coltin considers The Mill a completed project, that has not stopped his entrepreneurial mind from churning. “If this does what we think it will, then there may be more to come here in Zephyr. That’s just how my mind works.”
What started out eight months ago as a private project to create a little extra space for his family and visitors, evolved into a labor of love for the community of Zephyr, Texas. A landmark building, battered by storms and the years of time, has been given new life and restored to a place of community pride. It is once again the place to be.
{Story by Todd Howey}
The Mill at Zephyr will be featured in the upcoming 2024 Brown County Area Guide magazine scheduled to be availabe in late May.
