Joshua Murphy - Owner

The phrase "grew up in the business" gets thrown around a lot nowadays.  However, there is no better way to describe Josh Murphy's commitment to Mile Away Restaurant. After living in Germany for 2 years, Josh's parents Kevin and Sandy moved their family back to Milford in 1996 after teaching abroad to find that the original owners of their favorite restaurant were selling the business.  Not only did they buy the Mile Away but also the home that's attached. So at 16 years old, Josh literally lived at the restaurant. 

Josh started out working as a dishwasher scrubbing every dish and piece of equipment in the entire kitchen by hand. He learned every position and knows how to cook every dish for both the restaurant and the event catering from memory... not many owners in our industry can claim that these days. Longtime regulars of the Mile Away can recall seeing him at the host stand, serving tables, and behind the bar as well as coordinating functions like weddings and Oktoberfest.

After attending Western State College in Colorado and with years of being an integral part of his family's business under his belt, Josh bought his parent's restaurant in 2008. He is continuing the tradition that his family cultivated for decades of good food at good prices in an elegantly rustic atmosphere. Being an accomplished builder and skilled handyman, Josh has built "The Patio at The Mile Away" in 2019 and our "Front Porch" in 2021. 

While he spends a lot of his time maintaining our lush gardens and building additions to the business, Josh also enjoys mountain biking, woodworking, golf, and skiing with his wife Sarah and their 4 kids.  

Mark Worcester - Executive Chef

Born and raised as a Milford native, Mark began his culinary career in 1973 right next door with Hampshire Hills Athletic Club when he was 15 years old.  He graduated from the University of New Hampshire Thompson School with a degree in Culinary Arts and Nutrition.

Mark was first hired by the original owners of Mile Away Restaurant in 1978.  Inspired by our founders Joe and Ernst, Mark left the Mile Away to travel to Switzerland for several years; working and studying in European kitchens. In the railroad station of the city of Bern, Mark worked in a dining complex called "Banffhofs". It consisted of 11 different restaurants/dining areas that were all served out of one central kitchen!  When he returned to the states, he worked as a chef in several local restaurants. In 1983, Mark returned to the Mile Away and became our Executive Chef. 

In 1991, as Joe and Ernst started preparing to sell the Mile Away, Mark left to run the food service operations of Hitchner's Manufacturing right here in Milford, NH. This was so that he could spend more time at home with his 2 daughters before opening his family's restaurant, The Melting Pot in Wilton, NH. 

He returned to the Mile Away for the 3rd time in 2015 as our executive chef once again.  His philosophy to his style of food is "simple, clean, classic".  Mark is a cornerstone of how we have been able to maintain the authentic cuisine that has made us famous for so many generations.

When he's not in the kitchen cooking our dinners or prepping for a wedding feast... Mark enjoys gardening with his wife, photography, and spoiling his dog Willow.

Kyle A.O. Lee - General Manager

Originally born in Detroit… Kyle grew up moving throughout the lower peninsula of Michigan before settling in Ann Arbor. A former chef in his own right, he is an expert in gluten-free cuisine, well-versed in molecular gastronomy from his time as a caterer, and has extensively studied the history & techniques of craft cocktails. He graduated with honors from the ACF Culinary Arts program at Michigan Career & Technical Institute… a vocational trade school for disabled adults. Kyle has a progressive neuromuscular disease called muscular dystrophy that ended his career as a chef.

In 2012, Kyle moved to the South Shore of Boston where he transitioned from running kitchens to managing multi-unit corporate restaurants as well as opening dozens of different concepts as a consulting partner with A.O. Lee Group.  Kyle moved to Milford, NH in 2015 to buy a small homestead called Burnscroft Farm. He has been featured on The NH Chronicle, Hippo Magazine, NH Eats, Phantom Gourmet, Wicked Bites, as well as various radio shows and podcasts.

In his spare time, Kyle enjoys building computers, woodworking, watching University of Michigan football, and traveling with his partner Jen and their 5 kids.