Our Story
The Feed Mill Restaurant and Bar of Morganfield Kentucky began in January of 1997, all thanks to the beloved Malcolm and Leslie Wheatley.
Malcolm and Leslie married in 1965 and found their home in Waverly KY. The two then had 5 children, 4 sons and 1 daughter. Malcolm worked as a grain farmer, raised hogs, and opened a Purina Feed Mill in 1968. Leslie was a homemaker and registered nurse at the local health center. Their 5 children grew up helping around the farm and the feed store until time to attend college.
Two of their sons went on to attend college at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, where Malcolm and Leslie frequently came to visit. On their visits, they loved to eat at a small Cajun restaurant, owned and operated by a native of the bayou country in Louisiana. These 2 sons began working for the Cajun restaurants, leading Malcolm and Leslie to become acquainted with the owner. The flavorful Cajun food and atmosphere inspired Malcolm and Leslie to start their own seafood/Cajun restaurant journey, leading Leslie and one of her daughter-in-laws to Lexington KY, where they learned how to cook 11 authentic Cajun recipes, which would soon be served in their new restaurant.
Malcolm and Leslie began their journey in Henderson KY in 1993, soon leading to the opening of the Feed Mill Restaurant and Bar in Morganfield KY in 1997. The Feed Mill Restaurant and Bar originally started out as a concrete block building used for storage of feed, seed corn, and fertilizer by the Purina Feed Mill. It had a loft and a large dirt floor area in which the feed trucks were parked, and the building sits on part of the grain farm facing US Highway 60 in a rural setting. Malcolm decided on a rustic theme when building the restaurant, he razed many local barns to obtain cyprus and poplar lumber to use in constructing the restaurant. White oak floors, wormy maple ceilings and original corrugated tin are all incorporated in the construction.
The bar area of the restaurant, which seats 30 guest, is called, “The Roost”. The Roost features a solid, hand-crafted cherry and walnut bar and cabinets built with hand cut wood from the Wheatley farm, and allowed to age for 30 years. If you have ever walked through the bar you might have also noticed a hand painted mural covering the walls. This mural depicts an old grist mill with a rural background and is surrounded by many fowl and stuffed animals featured for decor.
The main dining area of the restaurant seats 90 guests and is full of Louisiana decor collected by Leslie Wheatley herself. Leslie loved seeing the restaurant full of life and decorations from holiday to holiday.
The Feed Mill also features two party rooms to accommodate for large groups of guest. The original party room is located upstairs seating 60 guest and is called, “The Loft". An additional party room, now called “The Mardi Gras Room”, was built in 2002 with a capacity of 65 guest. Both of these rooms are filled with exciting and colorful Mardi Gras decorations to help ensure that your party is just as exciting as Bourbon Street in downtown Louisiana.
The Feed Mill has come a long way since January of 1997, thanks to all of our wonderful staff and customers. We are forever grateful for our small-town support, and out of town support. We cannot wait to see you soon!