Project Highlights
The Garver Feed Mill is a 60,000 SF masonry building, originally constructed in 1906 by the United States Sugar Company. Over the intervening decades the building has housed many industries- sugar beet refinery, feed mill, and potato chip production.
In 2017, working for Baum Revision, Bachmann Construction began a $15M restoration of the building, including a complete historical masonry restoration. Aiming to put the site on the National Historic Register, all materials used were historically accurate.
Now open, housing tenants from various industries including food production, restaurants, event spaces, offices, and a health and wellness spa, the building is unlike any other in the Madison region. And looking at the masonry walls both inside and out, you cannot tell where our restoration begins and the original remains, just as it should be.
In 2019, Bachmann Construction completed the build-out of Surya Café, a plant-based restaurant located within the historic Garver Feed Mill in Madison, Wisconsin.
Surya Café’s space spans approximately 1,700 square feet and was designed to reflect the café’s wellness-focused, sustainable ethos. Bachmann’s work involved transforming a raw section of the restored mill into a warm, inviting restaurant environment. The build-out included:
- Custom interior finishes that complement the exposed masonry and industrial character of the Garver building.
- Integration of food service infrastructure, including kitchen installation and utility coordination.
- Preservation of historic architectural elements, in line with strict restoration guidelines for the site.
The café was one of several tenants Bachmann helped establish within the Garver Feed Mill, alongside wellness studios, event spaces, and artisanal food producers. The project required close collaboration with developers and preservation authorities to ensure all materials and design choices met historic standards.
Surya Café opened in mid-September 2019 and quickly became a local favorite for its vibrant menu and serene atmosphere—both enhanced by the thoughtful construction and design work Bachmann delivered.
