For Michael J. Mills, the road to opening Board & Batten didn’t begin in a kitchen—it began with a calculator, a six-acre citrus property, and an entrepreneurial instinct that rarely steered him wrong. Nearly three decades ago, Mills was a CPA and business consultant when he purchased a 16,000-square-foot abandoned mansion in East Mesa. That property became Stonebridge Manor, a wedding venue tucked among orange groves that quickly grew into one of the region’s most sought-after event spaces.
For years, Mills subcontracted catering to outside vendors. But in 2014, he made a pivotal decision: bring all food, beverage, and banquet operations in-house. With a full-time staff now on payroll and weddings happening nearly year-round, he launched a small daytime concept—Bistro à-la-mode—to keep his culinary team busy mid-week. The café was charming, beloved even, but limited. The wedding calendar dictated everything.…