Published: May 7, 2025
Share:
The Landmark Lounge
After standing vacant for years, the historic Nickless-Hubinger Mill is being reimagined once more. The lower level - once the heart of milling operations - will soon open as The Landmark Lounge, a moody, upscale venue honoring the building’s legacy through curated cocktails, small plates, and soft jazz ambiance.
There it stood in the middle of our community for 108 years. The original mill built in 1848 by the Hubinger Brothers stood as a reminder of our agricultural roots until it was demolished in 1956. A Frankenmuth landmark was no more.
It took until the 1980’s for a group of local businessmen and women to come together to resurrect that iconic building. By 1984 that dream had become a reality in the same spot on the Cass River as the original 1848 mill.
When we purchased what was then the Nickless-Hubinger Mill in 2020 it had stood vacant for years and began to show the wear associated with “deferred maintenance”.
We were excited about the possibility the building had to offer, as we began to program the space. It became apparent to our planning team, that on the lower level of The Mill, once the machine room for milling operations, was a perfect location for a unique speakeasy type venue.
The name came almost immediately, The Landmark Lounge, paying homage to the buildings continued significance as a community landmark.
The vision for the Landmark Lounge is a moody, upscale, food and beverage concept; craft cocktails, small plates, decadent pastries. A spot to gather with friends just before or after dinner or just because. Soft jazz music adding to the ambience.
Our Food and Beverage team is excitedly working on the project. We think it’s going to be something special. We’ll keep you posted.
You have my name on it!
Al Zehnder, CEO
Related Posts
Nikki Bailey Named Assistant Director of Hotel Operations at The Mill
The Mill at Zehnder Park is pleased to announce the appointment of Nicki Bailey as Assistant Director of Hotel Operations for our forthcoming luxury boutique hotel. In her new role, Bailey will oversee daily operations for The Mill at Zehnder Park, reporting to Shelby Albrecht, Director of Hotel and Waterpark operations. Her leadership will help ensure exceptional guest service, housekeeping, culinary quality, group experiences, and front-of-house operations.
Read More >
The Waterwheel
Just three years after Frankenmuth was founded, the Hubinger brothers opened the first milling operation Frankenmuth Milling Co., in 1848, on the banks of the Cass River. Water pouring over the waterwheel, from the river, created the power necessary for turning the grindstones within the mill. Seeing a waterwheel on the exterior of an older building, always near a river or stream, indicated what was going on inside.
Read More >
The Transformation – The Mill at Zehnder Park
It all began in 1848 as a milling operation built on the banks of the Cass River by the Hubinger brothers just three years after the founding of Frankenmuth. It operated as a mill where local farmers could bring their grain until it was deemed obsolete at demolished in 1956. An iconic building in the middle of Frankenmuth that was a constant reminder of our agricultural roots was lost forever.
Read More >