Despite Successes, James Still Seeking Perfect Recipe

Miles James has a lot on his plate these days, and it’s not just related to the Ozark Plateau Cuisine he’s been creating for nearly 18 years.

James, executive chef and owner at James at the Mill and Inn at the Mill in Johnson, recently helped open 28 Springs — a project done with longtime friends Todd and Shelley Simmons — in Siloam Springs. James also plans to offer some dramatically new options at James at the Mill in the near future. Beyond that, he continues to explore opportunities to open a “major-market restaurant.”

If any of that seems too ambitious, consider the fact James is a different man than the one who was part of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s inaugural Forty Under 40 class in 1997.

“I’ve become a businessman; I was a chef,” said James, 44. “I was a young chef that thought I knew everything about the restaurant business and hospitality, and I knew a little bit. I knew enough to be dangerous.

“I have completely changed my outlook on life, on business, on everything.”

The transformation accelerated with the 2003 death of James’ father-in-law, James Lambeth, who opened Inn at the Mill in 1992. James leaned on Lambeth when it came to dealing with “the bankers and lawyers and accountants,” but has grown comfortable filling that role.

“Now it’s second nature,” James said. “I can look at the spreadsheets and numbers and profit-and-loss, and know exactly what’s going on and what we need to do about it and direct the company.

“It’s fun. I’ve enjoyed learning that and being able to get there.”

That’s not to suggest there haven’t been bumps in the road, including dealing with the effects of a recession that left many in the restaurant and hospitality industries reeling. James also was instrumental in developing Ella’s Restaurant at the University of Arkansas’ Inn at Carnall Hall, and owned a percentage of it for a time.

“I felt like that was a step backwards, but we’ve recovered from that,” James said.

The recovery might best be reflected in the projects James currently is juggling. 28 Springs, a surprisingly modern space nestled in downtown Siloam Springs, opened July 2 and has averaged about 280 customers a day, James said.

The menu boasts the same inventive spirit as James at the Mill — and the bar wouldn’t be out of place in a city 10 times the size of Siloam Springs — but all of it was designed to hit a lower price point.

“It has the same feeling as when we opened James at the Mill,” James said. “It was a much-needed business in an emerging market.”

As for James at the Mill, James plans to convert its downstairs space into a lounge, or “a new restaurant within the restaurant,” he said. Plans for a patio also are in the works.

Inn at the Mill, meanwhile, recently was named Inn of the Year in Choice Hotels International Inc.’s Ascend Hotel Collection, described on its website as “a network of one-of-a-kind upscale properties.”

The property was under CHI’s Clarion umbrella until about a year ago, James said. Changing brands “was the best decision I’ve ever made at Inn at the Mill,” he said.

James also has a keen interest in opening a restaurant in a major city, most likely Miami, where he said a network of friends and colleagues would make the venture doable. The desire to expand his brand there comes largely from working in places like New York, London and Paris.

“I watch these restaurants come into those markets, and they’re good, they’re great, but they’re no different than what we’re doing. … We can compete in that marketplace,” James said. “We’ll develop a brand that can be managed, operated, run by some key personnel.”

James is quick to add Northwest Arkansas will remain home for his family, which consists of wife, Courtney, and daughter, Paris. Having lived all over the United States and Europe, James said Northwest Arkansas is where he wants to stay.

“It’s amazing how insulated we are in Northwest Arkansas, and how much business is really here,” he said. “If you can organize yourself and speak a clear, direct message, you can capture some incredible business here.”

James enjoys traveling when possible, but said some of his favorite times are regular Sunday night dinners with his family. When asked what he eats that would surprise people, James laughed.

“Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni, with ground turkey. Yeah, I’m a real person.”