Milly Grub has evolved through new location, menu items

Published 1:10 pm Monday, April 8, 2024

Milly Grub has evolved since the business began in October 2021. 

What is now a restaurant was originally founded as a catering business by Justin Daffinson and Walker Petty while the pair were roommates at Georgia College & State University. 

By catering events at several colleges, they built connections that helped the business grow and even allowed them to open a physical location on South Wayne Street. They catered to the late-night college crowd and more with their menu featuring items like their signature hot dogs and loaded nachos. 

Now they are on the move again, having finally been given the chance to be a full-time restaurant. Their new location at 101 S. Wayne St. previously housed a Verizon store. The new space is what Daffinson referred to as “a dream of ours.” 

He said that even after running Milly Grub for a few years and continuing to juggle classes alongside everything else on his plate, the passion is still there for him. 

Daffinson said that customers have followed the restaurant from location to location because of their interest in and enjoyment of the food that Milly Grub offers.

Milly Grub is no longer just there for late nights. The restaurant is now open for lunch and dinner as well. The new hours of operation are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Although they have only been at the new location for a few weeks and are still trying to get the word out on social media, Daffinson said folks who know them have been coming regularly, and business has increased.

The menu has also undergone quite an overhaul befitting the new space and a focus on being a full-time restaurant. Milly Grub offers 12-inch pizzas featuring homemade in-house dough and pizza sauce. In addition to the traditional pepperoni and cheese pizzas, different options including Hot Honey Jalapeño, Chicken Bacon Ranch, Margherita, and more are also available. Another newcomer is the chopped salads, which can be made up of one type of lettuce (three types available), a protein (four options to pick from including grilled chicken and steak), a maximum of five toppings (13 are available including bell peppers, croutons, shredded cheese, carrots), and one of seven dressing options.

While they still serve their late-night foods like hot dogs, loaded nachos, and mac n’ cheese, these items are not what Daffinson and company want folks to think of when they think of Milly Grub. They want to be known for their pizzas and chopped salads as they focus on building a great restaurant right here in Milledgeville without the limitations of only being open at night. 

“We want this to be a cool gathering spot, a laid-back gathering spot where people can come enjoy their food and smile,” Daffinson said. 

Milly Grub offers in-store pickup and delivery. Customers can order online at https://www.millygrub.com/.  

Catering is also available.

When it comes to what he enjoys most about running Milly Grub, it comes back to the customers for Justin Daffinson. 

“It just makes me happy to see these customers follow us and share the same interest that we have in Milly Grub,” he said. “I like seeing them come in with a big smile on their faces and feel like they’re at home, that’s what I enjoy the most and that’s what fuels our fire, the customers.”