Josh Kessler is a musician-turned-entrepreneur, real estate developer and visionary behind several transformative projects in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A former Harrisburg Regional Chamber Entrepreneur of the Year, Josh is known for using creativity and risk-taking to drive community revitalization.
Josh is the founder and owner of The Millworks, a one-of-a-kind art collective, brewery and farm-to-table restaurant located in Midtown Harrisburg. He’s also behind other local hotspots including The Watershed, Cork & Fork and the soon-to-open High Dive bar, all of which contribute to the growing vibrancy of the city.
The Millworks is housed in a restored industrial building next to the oldest continuously operated indoor farmer’s market in the country. It features a rooftop beer garden, a brewery and working artist studios. Josh is deeply invested in sourcing local ingredients and supporting regional farmers, helping elevate Harrisburg’s culinary and cultural profile.
Josh’s early creative roots in music shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, which he sees as “creative problem-solving.”
He started in real estate with just a few thousand dollars and a desire to avoid a 9-to-5 job, flipping his first home with no formal construction experience.
The Millworks began as a risky, passion-driven project that revitalized a struggling part of Midtown Harrisburg and it quickly gained traction.
The restaurant’s art collective includes 35 local working artists, creating a destination that fuses visual art, craft beer and seasonal cuisine.
Josh is committed to sourcing hyperlocal ingredients, even if it means personally picking them up from nearby farms.
He’s passionate about rebuilding the historic Broad Street Market after a devastating fire, donating land for a temporary vendor tent to keep small businesses alive.
Farm-to-table remains core to Josh’s philosophy: “Why wouldn’t we take this opportunity of all this great product around here and use it ourselves?”
QUOTES
“Only the entrepreneur is willing to work 80 hours so they don’t have to work 40.” (Josh)
“In business, it’s essentially creative problem solving. That creative training as a musician was really the training I needed.” (Josh)
“I said, ‘Well, we might lose everything doing it because, you know, people might not come down here.’ It was a big risk. But as soon as we opened, it got traction.” (Josh)
“Midtown needed something dynamic—a destination draw. That’s what I saw Millworks could be.” (Josh)
“You can get this farm-to-table product in New York City, but you couldn’t get it 10 miles away from where it’s actually grown.” (Josh)
“When I walked into the Millworks building, it was like falling in love at 13. Sweaty palms, racing mind. I knew it was the one.” (Josh)
“Restaurants are people. The experience is only as good as the people preparing, serving, and caring.” (Josh)
“I wear the Locust Point beef farm hat everywhere I go. It’s fun building relationships with local growers. It just feels right.” (Josh)
“The Broad Street Market is the most diverse, non-political confluence of people in the region.” (Josh)
