Little Miller’s Café off Palmer-Wasilla Highway closing

WASILLA—Wednesday is the last day for the Little Miller’s Café located off the Palmer-Wasilla, near the First Student bus barn.

“It was always a dream of ours to do a sit-down and so we’re all happy we had that experience to do it and be creative. Now we can say we did it,” Miller’s chain co-owner Debbie Miller said.

Miller and her husband, Gary, started as a family operation and that tradition has kept strong over the years. Miller said that her daughter, Kelly Holmberg, ran the café but put in her resignation to take a worship director position at her church. Miller said that the café was Holmberg’s vision and without her, they were forced to begin the shut down about a month ago.

“She was our creative element so we couldn’t do it anymore,” Miller said. “It was a really hard decision we had to make.”

The Little Miller’s Café started last January and served as something different from their previous locations, which focus more on ice cream and coffee with some snacks. The café was regularly used for meetings, events and other get-together having more of a hub feel to it, according to Miller. She said it was fun while it lasted. Now it’s time to get back to how they started back in 1976 with their first Miller’s Market store in Houston, spanning several “baby” ice cream shops around Wasilla.

“That’s why we call them Little Millers,” Miller said. “We’ll go back to what we’re really comfortable doing and we never know. The Metro could grow into something like the café.”

With the café closing, there will be four total Miller locations includin Miller’s Market in Houston, Little Miller’s Ice Cream (seasonal, summer location) off Lucas Road, Little Miller’s Ice Cream off Bogard Road, and the Little Miller’s Metro off Lucille Road.

She said that she was excited about buying the Metro Café off Lucille Road, which has the potential to serve a similar purpose. She said that they didn’t own the building for the café, but they do own the Metro building so that can help them grow the Metro into a more café like atmosphere and menu like the one her daughter ran, should they choose that route.

“We can probably be more visionary for that one, if that’s what we decide to do,” Miller said. “But we’re just gonna’ enjoy a little bit of quiet this winter, just kinda’ regroup.”

Miller said that anyone missing what the café offered at that particular location can rejoice because a new business owner will open up “Auntie’s Corner Café” in their place. According to their Facebook page, Auntie’s Corner Café aims to open Nov. 1.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com