The curse of the Obele mill

„Historic mill for sale with a restaurant and event space“, – a post on social media reads. The Obeliai mill, which has already had more than one owner, is back on the market. Why? In 2023, its current owner, Dainius Kieras, was quite vocal in the press about not only the unique ancient building, but also about the catering business that was being developed there. He was also boldly making plans for the future. So what happened?

Did the losses dampen enthusiasm?

After opening its doors, the Obeliai mill purchased by Mr Kier attracted many visitors, according to previous articles. At the time, the entrepreneur was delighted with the unique building and its interior, and was eager to talk about the menu of the mill's restaurant and share his dreams of expanding the range of services. However, just two years later, the Obeliai Mill is up for sale. When the owner was asked what had happened, he was reluctant to comment on the situation.

Kier's enthusiasm may have been dampened by his restaurant's mounting losses. According to „Rekvizitai.lt“, in 2023, MB „Obeliai“, which owns the Obeliai mill, made a loss of 21 €354. Last year, 2024, the amount jumped to €26,467.

The previous owner, businessman Aidas Stainys –, made no secret of the fact that he decided to sell the Obeliai mill precisely because the café he had set up in it was unprofitable.

Historical decoration

Obelių Mill is located about 150 km from Kaunas and Vilnius and about 100 km from Panevėžys. Historical sources indicate that it may have been built as early as 1840, when the nobility of Petkevičiai owned the Obeliai estate. In this case, the mill is truly authentic and one of the oldest in Lithuania.

The Obeliai mill was privatised in 1990 and has been landscaped and made available for visitors. Unfortunately, the institution that acquired this historical object closed down and it was gradually not only abandoned, but also started to deteriorate over time.

In 2008, the mill was acquired by the aforementioned businessman A. Stainys. It has been restored and adapted to catering services. The business did not take off, and the mill was sold again, until finally D. Kieras tried to give it another chance. Unfortunately, once again it was unsuccessful.

(I)mproper activities

Virgilijus Navalinskas, the photographer who organised the exhibition "Lithuanian Mills" in 2022, is not surprised that the catering business is not developing at the Obeliai mill. He has no doubt that maintaining a 4-storey historic building is very costly.

„Can a mill on the outskirts of Lithuania, in the North-East, and a restaurant there generate so much money? Hardly...“, – muses the photographer.

After visiting many mills, Navalinskas says that catering services are quite popular in such historical sites. It is more often developed in water mills, which are easier to maintain. How else could such historic sites in Lithuania be made more active?

„It all depends on where and what kind of mill it is. Of course, a lot depends on financial possibilities. The mills can certainly be used for various educational activities, a museum or other activities&– says V. Navalinskas.