Aaron Smith, executive chef and owner of The Public House graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts from Kendall College in Evanston, IL. After his graduation in 2001 he perfected his art working in 3 & 4 star restaurants in the Chicagoland area.
Aaron spent his childhood visiting Southwest Michigan where his family owned a lake home. In 2006 he decided to take a break from the big city lights of Chicago and moved temporarily to Southwest Michigan. He began working at the Klinger Lake Country Club when he heard a local restaurant was for sale. In 2007, Smith bought Bistro Rio in Mendon, MI. He immediately started to make it his own, with his philosophy of providing the customer with local products and excellent service.
In his quest to find local products, he was told the Mendon Farmers Market was a fantastic place to get products from the community. At the farmers market he met his soon-to-be wife, Rachel Dennis. Dennis is from the Upper Peninsula and was helping develop interest in the Mendon Farmers Market. The two met, and as they say….the rest was history. Dennis currently works for the Eaton County Conservation District as a Water Stewardship Technician and is committed to bringing local products to the community.
With the help of friends and family Aaron and Rachel set out to make changes to the restaurant. Construction to the 113 year old building began in May 2009. In July, they unveiled the new river front dining and a new full service bar.
Heading into 2010 the team at the former Bistro Rio felt that with the new construction and changes throughout….a name change would be appropriate as well. They wanted a name that encouraged a casual space where everyone is welcome. Soon after, The Public House was born. Aaron and Rachel are committed to providing a comfortable place to come and relax, eat and enjoy the scenic views of The St. Joseph River.
At The Public House, we encourage you to come and visit. You can stop in and see Aaron and Rachel and the rest of our team Tuesday thru Saturday from 5:00-10:00 p.m. Hope to see you soon!
