Opening Delayed for New Restaurant in Gamble Mill

A new restaurant from a pair of Centre County dining scene veterans is still coming to Bellefonte’s Gamble Mill, but the wait will be just a bit longer than originally planned.

Grist Woodfired now hopes to open in time for the holiday season, and if not then, by January, the restaurant’s owners wrote in a social media post. They had previously anticipated a late-September opening.

“We are completely blown away by the incredible excitement surrounding our opening, and we are so sorry for the wait!” they wrote. “Our team and owners are pouring their hearts into making this happen as quickly as possible. While there are a few moving parts still out of our hands, we are working hard behind the scenes and can’t wait to welcome you soon.”

Hublersburg Inn owner Andi Heidt and Happy Valley Chef’s Thomas Novosel Jr. are partnering for Grist Woodfired. It will fill the restaurant space in the Gamble Mill last occupied by Creekside, which closed in September 2025.

They said in July that Grist “will be an upscale, casual restaurant featuring scratch-made small plates, woodfired pizzas, seasonal entrées, weekly features, and a full bar.”

The new restaurant is a homecoming for Heidt, who previously managed the Gamble Mill before acquiring the Hublersburg Inn in 2007 and transforming it into one of Centre County’s most highly regarded dining destinations.

Novosel, meanwhile, is a veteran chef whose Happy Valley Chef is known for its wood-fired pizzas sold at farmers markets and other venues and its catering services.

Both bring a focus on local ingredients and menus that update seasonally.

“The style of food [at Grist] is going to be super nice and seasonal,” Novosel told StateCollege.com in July. “Happy Valley Chef has been operating at the farmers markets since 2017, utilizing local farmers markets and the seasonality of our area for the items that I create.”

Novosel plans to continue utilizing his mobile unit for Happy Valley Chef after the opening of Grist Woodfired, which will become a sister restaurant to the Hublersburg Inn.

At the Gamble Mill, Woodfired will join The Republic cocktail bar, The Speakeasy event venue and The Gamble Mill Inn & Suites, all of which were developed by owners Chris and John Virgilio after they acquired the property in 2019 and reopened it in 2021 following renovations.

Novosel said he and Heidt are excited about the opportunity.

“We’re getting in there with our combined experience to make something that’s special for the community to come and enjoy,” he said.