Mountain Town just celebrated its 20th anniversary this past October. In our first 20 years we have happily become a staple in the community of Mount Pleasant and central Michigan alike. We have come a long way from where we first began, says Jim Holton- owner and master mind behind all of the Mountain Town umbrella; but with the support of so many locals as well as visitors from all over the nation, world and especially the amazing Michiganders, we are now able to fulfill almost any food and beverage desire you may have.

Mountain Town and all its affiliated entities are family owned and community focused. First we have the hub that started it all: Mountain Town Station itself. It is home to a laid-back steakhouse and brew pub with an emphasis on original Chef-created recipes, hand crafted microbrews and exceptional guest-focused service in a renovated train depot located on Broadway St. in the heart of downtown. With our large restaurant we can cater to anything from a special night for two, a group of 50+, a business traveler just passing through, a family night out, sports teams or any other occasion you and yours may be looking to enjoy. We have a bar and lounge area for those who may be a bit thirsty. We also have a dining room where you can find a bit more intimate and quiet surrounding to enjoy the company of others. Or you can check out our patio overlooking the beautiful Chippewa River. Also, within Mountain Town is our unique brewery created within the renovated, transplanted old water tower that sat on the train depot property, as well as a wine room with a selection of wines to rival some of the best in all of Michigan. Oh, don’t forget we also just became one of the newest vendors for the Michigan-made Cherry Republic line of products, all made with Michigan grown cherries.

Next came the Tap Room and brewery distribution center located on Pickard Street. Mountain Town Brewing Co. came about in 2007 as we noticed the huge demand for microbrews across Michigan as well as the nation. This new brewery operation is mainly for manufacturing and packaging, using the same recipes that had been successfully developed for years at the MTS brewpub. In 2008, shipments of beers such as the Gamblers Golden Ale, Railyard Raspberry Wheat and Cow Catcher Red Ale were flying out of the brewery and into restaurants and bars across Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. It also serves a smaller, brewery-style food menu and features 18 taps of creative, hand-crafted MTBC brews from some of the most creative brewers MI has to offer! Look for these and many more beers at your favorite bar and restaurant. If they don’t have our beers request that they be put on tap!

But then the community spoke again. There was a desire for a fine dining restaurant that still had that MTS casual feel to it. And so Camille’s on the River was born. We broke ground on the construction in early 2011 and opened our doors to the public in September of that same year. Camille’s is a 65-seat intimate restaurant featuring regional and seasonal flavors combined with upscale comfort food. The restaurant also has a space for small private dinners as well as a wine lounge with specialty cocktails and small plates. Bringing in the Executive Chef Brent Peterson was a huge gain for both the restaurant as well as any of the guests who choose to visit Camille’s on the River! He brings a level of culinary art that is unrivaled (in our opinion) to any other restaurant in the area. Camille’s works with local farmers to bring Mount Pleasant a unique farm-to-table cuisine. I always say Chef Brent can turn mac and cheese into a fine dining plate, although his does have lobster in it.

Once the sensation of microbrews caught on even further throughout Michigan there was a call for a brewery in a neighboring city just south of Mount Pleasant. Thus, Jim again answered the call and Alma Brewing Co. was created. Alma Brewing Co. opened in July of 2014 as a sister brewery of Mountain Town Brewing Company. They specialize in the awesome hand crafted beers made popular by Mountain Town as well as offer hand crafted wine and various soups, salads and panini sandwiches. The brewery is conveniently located in downtown Alma on East Superior Street.

Mountain Town Station and Camille’s on the River have also branched out to fulfill the request for a quality catering company in central Michigan that brings the expansive spectrum of food from MTS steakhouse brewpub style all the way to fine dining cuisine that can be found at Camille’s. Not to mention all that MTS and its affiliates hope to give back to a community that has beyond supported our establishments and made them into places that just make you feel at home. We are proud to be a part of such an amazing city, state and culture. Oh, and one last thing: MTS and Camille’s also feature a garden located behind the parking lot of Mountain Town Station. This garden is the cornerstone for community style garden dinners, private events or even wedding receptions. With the recent, always unpredictable Michigan weather we have had to make some quick decisions to get the garden back to its usual beautiful state when it is in full bloom in July. With this in mind we have had to cancel our next garden event on July 7th, but will be resuming the scheduled events as planned starting on July 21st. Give us a call to inquire on either these planned events or even a special event of your choosing. Overall, we are happy to do all that we can to make your dining experience or event something special for you. Let us take the stress off of your plate… literally! Thank you Mount Pleasant, and we hope to see you at one of our establishments very soon.

Joe Herman is originally from the east side of Detroit and came up to Mount Pleasant in 2008 for college at CMU. His degree is in General Management with a concentration in Professional Sales. He started working at Mountain Town in 2009 as a Porter. He then became a server after about a year and a half and then received the opportunity to manage starting in January of 2016.  He has been with the company going on 8 years.