The Loss of a Carrollton Icon

Damn the Economy, Damn Franchise Restaurants, Damn BP for Driving Up the Price of Seafood.


Damn Them All..................


After 6 years as, what I consider to be, the Icon of Downtown Carrollton, GA Cuisine, Millers on the Square is closing.  Not only did Millers set The Gold Standard for food downtown but it was staffed and owned by some of the nicest people on the Planet.


First, you have to know that any Fine Dining Restaurant does not hire High Schools kids looking for summer work to be servers.  A place that has excellent food, great atmosphere, and an over all touch of class hires professionals.  If a place hires people who know, and I mean really know about service, the server could have a foot cut off and still approach you quickly, with a smile, with honest recommendations, and with a full knowledge of the menu.  The last time we were at Millers the waitress actually told us what she hated on the menu.  Now THAT is a server.


Then theres the Owner, Scottie Kaylor.  When we got there we informed his staff that most of the people at the table were from New Orleans (the theme by which the Menus were created and, oddly enough, the theme by which I remodeled my kitchen) and that we know NOLA food.  After ordering a sampling off the menu (in reality there were 8 of us and we each ordered different appetizers and different dishes then traded out plates) we were visited table side by Scottie himself.  After a few pleasantries and a few comments (raves, actually) we found out that Scottie was from Ponchatoula, on the North side of Lake Ponchatrain.  Just an all around good guy that was, by his own admission, serving the recipes of his Grandmother.  If you know nothing about food, you have to know that when someone thinks highly enough of the Old Family Recipes to base a business around them, there has to be a great love and respect.  That gets the highest marks in my book.


Now, no matter who you blame for it, the Economy has gone in the crapper.  At this point, it really doesn't matter whose fault it was, it just matters that Millers on the square is closing (read more about it in the Time-Georgian Article).  Scottie sites the failing economy and the presence of Chains Restaurants offering the same, worn out franchised crap (my words, not his) that mindless herds flock to.  From the Times Georgian Article: 

“It’s not been a great time for the white table cloth business ... It’s been very tough. We buy top notch products, and people just aren’t as willing to spend $25 on a meal like they once were,” Kaylor said. “I don’t have any complaints. I just wish more people would come to the square. Get out of the line at Longhorn, and come down here, and have one meal. The prices are very competitive, and you’d have a more unique dining experience.”

I can hear the Death Knell of the Fine Dining Restaurant Industry: "Mommy, Mommy!!!  Lets go to the Taco Temple for my Birthday!  When we went there for every other event in our lives they sang and gave us rubber trinkets imported from China!!!"  This is the generation that grows up on Chicken Nuggets.  But that's OK because they have 5 different sauces!!!  My God, Man.

At one point, and even now I see it, the generation of eaters that are being raised thinks that if you don't see the ads on TV then theres no sense in eating there.  I have a good friend, who shall remain nameless but will surely give me crap over this post, that thinks the Australian Based Steak Chain is the Cats Pajamas.  On his way home he will order take out, drag it home, maybe reheat it, and that's dinner.  So his meal is, in short, cooked from stores that came out of a warehouse somewhere, packed in a Petroleum based package, reheated or eaten cold, and he still paid the same price as if he went to sit down.  More over, he could have sat down at a fine local Joint (and there are some GOOD ones in his town), paid the same price, and had excellent service with his meal.

We are going to have to realize that Local Economics are tied closely to our food.  Not only do we need to start buying more local produce (there is a post coming on that soon) but remember that the smaller, local restaurants keep the money in the Community.  When you eat at Franchise Meals, Inc. the only money that finds its way back into the Community are the wages and tips.  Although you probably know this, I'm going to line out how this works:

1)  In order to maintain continuity throughout there restaurants, each franchise must buy from their parent company.  The money for the food is going out of town and helping some other Community and the warehouse that stores said product.

2)  Franchise Fees go to the parent company, again, outside the Community.

3)  Think about this one:  When a Franchise Food Place (these places do not deserve to be called Joints) they leave being a building that was built to a specific style based on the parent companies specs.  So, when that business shuts down, not only is there a loss of local jobs because I Don't Give A Rats Ass Foods decided their stockholders weren't happy, but your Community is now stuck with a building that everyone relates to that business.  Ask yourself this:  Would you hire a lawyer that was set up in an old Pizza Hut Building or McDonald's?  I know I wouldn't.

To see a place of quality close kills me.  To see an icon of food disappear is truly a crime.  But to see it lost and replaced by chain joints because people just don't eat like they used to and will not try it because there was no coupon for it in the local rag make me weep for my Community and for the White Tablecloth Industry as a whole. 

People, there are places stuck back in corners where you wouldn't even think to look for a Joint.  There are places that absolutely look like Hell that serve the best food around.  You need to take off the Bag Burger Blinders and get with keeping your Community Food Chain alive without sending the money to stockholders before your, and our, local food culture is lost.  Carrollton, GA has lost Miller's and unless people get moving to the local places that actually donate to our schools and help our community out, we'll lose more and that's not a threat, its a reality.

One last story about Scottie:  We were there for Sunday Brunch on a beautiful Sunday morning that was slightly cool and breezy.  What a fine day for Mimosa's and NOLA food.  During a light dessert a young lady of about 5 or 6 came through the door selling candy bars for charity.  Her Mother had obviously sent her in and Scottie was a bit miffed by it but he informed the young lady that it wasn't proper to come to place that sold food and try to sell dessert.  She walked out, was told by her mother to go back in, and was again met by Scottie.  He informed her again, as she clearly did not understand why she was doing something wrong, that it wasn't proper.  To end the debate and save the little girls feelings, Scottie bought a handful of candy bars and sent her on her way.  That Friends, takes class.

Sorry Millers and Sorry Scottie.  Give Carrollton another shot when times get better.  I, for one, will be waiting.

Rob

Read more: Times-Georgian - Downtown restaurant to close its doors