Meet Ellie Mullins of Patellie’s

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellie Mullins. 

Hi Ellie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Patellie’s was started in 2017 by my husband Pat Mullins and I. After having LOCAL, a specialty grocery in New Buffalo for almost 7 years, we were ready for our next adventure. The Village of Three Oaks is what drew us to move to Michigan in 2010 from San Francisco so when we had an opportunity to start a business (or two!) there we didn’t hesitate. We loved the charm of the town, the nearby farms and their abundance of great ingredients, the community of both locals and visitors, and the proximity to the great city of Chicago. Pat, a native Chicagoan attended Chicago Cooking and Hospitality Institute and went on to work at Blackbird in Chicago, Hungry Cat in Santa Barbara, and Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco. I, grew up between Belgium and Northern California, and great food was always centered around gatherings with friends and family. It felt only natural to share it. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing is easy when it comes to owning and operating a small business, let alone three. Making the decision to close LOCAL was one of the hardest as it was such a well-loved shop, although it was best for our own lives. Day-to-day struggles come with the wear and tear of equipment, dealing with things out of our control like power outages and a pandemic… but ultimately, we have triumphed because what we built is real and well-loved and we are grateful for all the support from our team to our community. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a small take-out pizzeria located in Three Oaks Michigan. Our style is New York meets Italy with a hand-stretched dough, house-made sausage, and a bounty of great ingredients. We get busy but are always worth the wait. Behind our pizzeria we also have P. & E. Bottle Shop which specializes in wines, beer, and cider from all over the World. 

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
To not give it all away. Time goes by quickly and to succeed in business and life, we also have to care for ourselves. It’s easy to get carried away with wanting to please the masses, but taking care of yourself and family will allow oneself to genuinely care and take care of everyone, customers, staff, and self alike. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.patellies.com
• Instagram: @patellies
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/patelliesthreeoaks