Gamble Mill Owners Reviewing Proposals for Open Spaces After Restaurant, Retail Shop Depart

The owners of the Gamble Mill in Bellefonte said this week that three of the businesses in the historic building “remain open and thriving” after the recent departures of two others.

Creekside at the Gamble Mill, a restaurant that had operated in the 160 Dunlop Street building for the past four years, closed and held a liquidation sale for its equipment this week. Smith + Front, meanwhile, closed its retail shop there at the end of August and is reopening on Saturday at 126 S. Allegheny St. in downtown Bellefonte.

Gamble Mill owner Jon Virgilio said in a statement on Thursday that the property’s other businesses — The Republic cocktail bar, The Speakeasy event venue and The Gamble Mill Inn & Suites — “continue to serve the community and welcome visitors every day, and their success is at the heart of what keeps the Mill a vibrant gathering place.”

Virgilio did not address the reason for Creekside’s closing, and the restaurant’s chef/owner, Michael Marx, did not respond to a request for comment this week. But Virgilio said he was happy to see Smith + Front had successfully grown out of its Gamble Mill space and moved on to bigger digs.

The Gamble Mill is currently receiving and reviewing proposals for the two vacant spaces.

“While it’s always difficult to see beloved businesses move on, change also brings opportunity,” Virgilio said. “We are already welcoming and reviewing proposals for the two newly available spaces and are excited about the potential to bring in new businesses that will add to the energy and character of the Mill.

“As owners, we are proud of the businesses that call the Gamble Mill home and grateful for the support they receive from the community. Looking ahead, we are excited to see what new ideas and businesses will join the Mill and help write the next chapter of its story.”

The Gamble Mill reopened in 2021 after Virgilio purchased and renovated the historic property that had sat empty for more tthan five years.

The original Lamb Mill grist mill was constructed on the site in 1786. The mill on the property was known by several names until it closed in 1947. It became a restaurant in 1986 and its previous owners added a brewpub before it closed in 2015.