“Why did you come to the grand opening ceremony today?”
“I went because I was interested in seeing what they sold there. I was driving by and saw the IN-N-OUT truck and other vendors, so I walked in and saw the raffles,” says Valerie Velasquez, a 2-year resident of Phelan.
On Saturday, May 9, Mills Hardware celebrated the grand opening of its new location with a community event that drew nearly 500 attendees throughout the day.
The parking lot was filled with vendors, including DLC Auto Solutions, DeWalt, and Milwaukee, all attracting crowds of local residents eager to explore what the event had to offer. One of the most popular attractions was the iconic IN-N-OUT truck, which drew a steady line of visitors throughout the day.
Inside the store, customers were greeted by raffle prize displays and a raffle ticket drum near the entrance. Visitors could also enjoy Thrifty Ice Cream at a special grand opening price of $1.50 per scoop—a nostalgic throwback to prices from the late 1990s and early 2000s.
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At the event, local customers and residents wholeheartedly welcomed the new and improved Mills Hardware. The longtime family business, Mills Hardware, has been serving the community since 2014 and the Mills family has been involved in the community in various ways.
Over the past 21 years, Mrs. Mills has served the community in numerous leadership roles, including Director, Treasurer, and President of the Phelan Chamber of Commerce, as well as Board Director and current Vice President of the Phelan Pinon Hills Community Services District (PPHCSD).
Through the years, Mills Hardware has supported community programs such as the Angel Tree, Phelan Phun Days, and Safe Halloween events. The business has also provided employment opportunities for local youth, often serving as a first job for many residents, while remaining a dependable source for emergency supplies and everyday needs.
Now it’s beginning its next chapter with its new location, with over 38,000 square feet. At first, Mills Hardware started off in its first location in 2014, at the Phelan Towne Square with only 8,000 square feet. Today, the store occupies more the building formerly occupied by Rite Aid on the corner of Phelan and Sheep Creek Rd. The Mills decided to move from the old location because they simply “got lucky” and were able to make the move to offer more services to members of the Tri-Community.
At the new location, Mills Hardware now offers more services, such as Thrifty’s ice cream, milkshakes, and an ever-changing seasonal department. Mills Hardware also has a Soda Shop and Propane services coming soon, as well as a new variety of cleaning supplies, including the following: auto care, marine care, household care, Dog shampoos, and even janitorial supplies.
One customer, Andy Zody, a resident for nearly 30 years, says the biggest change he has seen is “the variety of products, the Ice cream section, the Pies, and the more space they have for more goodies.”
Mr. and Mrs. Mills were both proud that the building was now 100% organized and operational. At the first opening, they celebrated the success of the move from the old location to the new location and having the store open. Now at the Grand opening event, they celebrated the success of completing the move and having everything in order and in place.
The logistics behind this grand opening event unveil another story. Mr. Mills says, “There was a lot of build-up to this [referring to the grand opening event]”. He also stated that for an event like this, you have to give each of the vendors a 5 to 6 month notice on when you will need them to attend your event. You also have to make sure that every single vendor can be there at your selected event date, because if not, you will have to reschedule all of them.
When asked why May 9 was selected for the grand opening, the Mills family pointed to the weather. “The main reason is the weather, last week it was very cold and cloudy, but today it was very nice weather, very warm and no wind, the perfect weather for an event like this,” they said.
Overall, the event was a success, and at noon, the Mills hosted their ribbon-cutting ceremony, which signified the official Grand Opening of the new and improved Mills Hardware in Phelan.
The Mills are very happy with the turnout and that local customers enjoyed the event. The Mills family expressed gratitude for the strong support and positive feedback from customers. When asked to describe the feeling of the day with a song title, they immediately answered, “Celebration.”
They added, “We’re excited that we’re hearing from customers that they are excited about the Grand opening, and to have that feedback, it shows we are doing something right.”
