Ashley and Sydney at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Ashley and Sydney at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Feel free to share this post...

To view or leave comments on this story, click HERE.

The new Seven Hills development opened to the public this month after working its way through the Peninsula Township planning process since 2020.

Located at 13795 Seven Hills Road, just north of Devil’s Dive Road, the facility includes a coffee shop/cafe, grab-and-go cooler, mercantile, cocktail lounge, indoor seating and an outdoor patio.

Old Mission Gazette is Reader Supported.
Click Here to Keep the Gazette Going.

For OMPers like me who’ve been around a while, this is the site of the former Arnold White Company, which built sprayers, cherry shakers and other farm equipment (remember the old Shipley Limb Shakers?).

More history to come! I think I have contact info for Wendy White around here, but Wendy, if you read this, shoot me a note at [email protected] or (231) 590-4715.

Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Outdoor patio at Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Outdoor patio at Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Community area at Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Community area at Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo

Tinker Studio, an art studio owned by Rick and Mary Kay Burbee, has moved to a building in the back of the complex, and Kindred Mission Beauty Salon will be opening soon.

While the Seven Hills website is not yet “live” (watch for that here), you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

There’s a lot going on at the new facility, so let’s break it down…

Old Mission Distilling

This cocktail lounge/tasting room is owned by the four local entrepreneurs who founded the Seven Hills development under the name OMP Seven Hills, LLC – Jay Milliken, Brian Peace, Troy Daily and Jordan Valdmanis.

They’ve contracted wtih Mammoth Distilling to produce the spirits offsite, including whiskey, gin, vodka and bourbon, and they also have a cutting-edge “cocktails on draft” system.

Check them out on Instagram.

"Draft" Cocktails on Tap at Old Mission Distilling; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
“Draft” Cocktails on Tap at Old Mission Distilling; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Booths at Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Booths at Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Whisky from Old Mission Distilling; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Whisky at Old Mission Distilling; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Libby and Dustin at Old Mission Distilling; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Libby and Dustin at Old Mission Distilling; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo

Mission Proper

This cafe/coffee shop/mercantile is owned by Brent and Jennifer Kuhar, with Trevor Smith serving as chef. The space features a coffee bar, pastries (including cake!), assorted small plates, a grab-and-go cooler stocked with lunch items like salads and sandwiches, and a mercantile with a variety of items, including Panther Coffee, picnic items, tahini, barbecue sauce and more.

The Kuhars plan to use local ingredients from Old Mission Peninsula farmers and farmstands, whenever possible. Check them out on their website, Facebook and Instagram.

Ashley and Sydney at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Ashley and Sydney at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Cake at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Cake at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Mercantile at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Panther Coffee; Mercantile at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Mercantile at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Mercantile at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo

Community Center

The Seven Hills space also includes a variety of tables and seating, which makes it a great place to set up your laptop or meet a friend for coffee.

Or perhaps play a game of Go, which is exactly what I did there with my friend Walter Lee a couple of days ago.

Walter *says I won, but since it’s the first time I’ve ever played the game and he helped me with most of the moves, we’ll say he let me win this one. Can’t wait to meet up there for our next game, Walter! (And could you also teach me how to play chess?)

Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
A game of Go with Walter Lee at Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
A game of Go with Walter Lee at Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Coffee at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo
Coffee at Mission Proper; Seven Hills Community Center | Jane Boursaw Photo

SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.

Because Old Mission Gazette is a "Reader Supported Newspaper" -- meaning it exists because of your financial support -- I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks our way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the OMP. In a time when local news is becoming a thing of the past, supporting an independent community newspaper is more important now than ever. Thank you so much for your support! -Jane Boursaw, Editor/Publisher, Old Mission Gazette

To keep the Gazette going, click here to make a donation.

To view or leave comments on this story, click HERE.

Bay View Insurance of Traverse City Michigan

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.