From bank to restaurant: Milas opens in Schenectady

Milas Restaurant & Bar in Schenectady is opening to the public on Friday, June 28 at 4:45 p.m. This is a new Mediterranean restaurant by Devin and Kaytrin Ziemann, who also own The Nest in Schenectady.

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Milas Restaurant & Bar in Schenectady is opening to the public on Friday, June 28 at 4:45 p.m. This is a new Mediterranean restaurant by Devin and Kaytrin Ziemann, who also own The Nest in Schenectady.

The Ziemanns have been working on opening Milas for around three years. The restaurant is located in the former Bank of America space at 500 State Street, but was originally supposed to open across the street at 501 State Street on the first floor of the new apartment building by Redburn Development, Kaytrin Ziemann told NEWS10 in November 2022.

The Milas menu includes dips, pide (Turkish flatbread), seafood cocktail, salads, lobster pasta, lamb burgers, beef short ribs, and small plates including olives, scallop crudo, smoked eggplant, and lamb ribs. You can view the full menu on the Milas website.

Milas is just down the street from The Nest at 512 State Street. The Nest serves southern cuisine including fried green tomatoes, biscuits and gravy, short rib, shrimp and grits, jambalaya, and more.

In December 2023, the Ziemanns announced that their other restaurant, The Cuckoo's Nest in Albany, was up for sale and would be closing. Kaytrin Ziemann said they decided to close to focus on their Schenectady restaurants. The Cuckoo’s Nest closed for business on May 19.

“This is not something we decided overnight,” Ziemann previously told NEWS10. “We’re in Schenectady all the time and don’t give The Cuckoo’s Nest our attention. It’s not fair to that space.”

In April 2022, the Ziemanns closed Crave Burgers & Frozen Yogurt in Albany. Since they closed Crave, they’ve been looking for a new location to reopen. With so much going on, Kaytrin Ziemann said they hope to reopen it after Milas is up and running.

Milas is already booked for Friday and Saturday, but you can make reservations for future dates on the Resy website. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 4:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 4:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.