the guiding principles Clayton said he had was to try to create a hip vibe that crossed over generational lines and to keep it a family friendly environment.
And that’ s exactly what he has created. That vibe begins before you even enter the building. The first thing that catches the eye through the large plate glass windows at the front of the building is the mouthwatering selection of candy in Sarino’ s Sweet Shoppe, which chocked full of mouth-watering delights, individually wrapped fan favorites from years gone by and unique new offerings not found in local stores.
You can also fill a bag with your favorite loose candies from a large selection sold by the pound or choose from a line of unique flavored sodas.
Perhaps the most popular item available from Sarino’ s Sweet Shoppe is the delicious hand-dipped Gelato. The Italian ice cream is available in a dozen different flavors and can be
topped off with several different toppings.
The perfect spot to enjoy the Italian treat is sitting at one of the beautiful café tables inside the front window overlooking E. Mountain Street.
“ People used to come in and it was like a museum where they just came in and looked around and shopped," said
Clayton. " They still do that but now it ' s about the food, the bar, the music and everything else as well as the shopping.
“ I want every single thing in here to be a piece of art as much as possible," he added. " The stage itself is a piece of art. I did it myself. There is still a sense of resale, but now the whole thing feels like an
The upstairs event space at The Makers Mill. Photo by Bob Flynn organic art gallery. Our goal is to be a community centered art space."
As part of its communitycentered approach, The Makers Mill is partnering with Earthwise Education of Somerset to install five community gardens throughout the community and also conducting kids camps this summer.
The camps will be in onemonth blocks in May, June and July on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 1 p. m. to 5 p. m. and cost $ 100 per block.
“ You can do one or all blocks which will each be a little different. They will be centered on sustainable living. The kids will learn about plants, gardening, sustainability and food, using and taking natural products and those types of things,” said Clayton.
More information about The Makers Mill can be found at makersmillsomerset. com online or at " The Makers Mill " page on Facebook.
18 • SEKY- Southeast Kentucky Life June 2026