Amy Miley owns local favorite Firewild on Main with her husband Travis Mills. They made a big splash at the 2019 Hogeye Festival serving up roasted whole hog on Main Street. Since then Firewild has become the destination for brunch and special events. When Covid’s dining restrictions had us all staying home they created a Sunday Comfort Menu for locals to pre-order and pick up and reaheat for Sunday dinner. It didn’t take long for this family affair to become a mainstay in our historic downtown.
1. Why did you choose to open a business in Elgin?
I’ve had a connection to Elgin since 1990, as I made friends in college whose families were based here. When wondering “What Next” after living in NYC in the early 2000’s, my and my husband’s instinct was to get some land, an antidote to NYC’s loud, cramped hustle to eventually grow into with a family and a business. Elgin fit that bill. Flash forward to two years ago when it became clear that the next step for our growing Austin-based catering company was to find a professional kitchen to call our own. It was by chance one day, after catching lunch in Elgin with a friend, that we spied the For Lease sign at 201 N. Main Street. The space boasted a fully stocked commercial kitchen – which checked off a lot of boxes for us. And on top of that, we were drawn to the sweetness and opportunity of Main Street and Elgin’s bubbling vibe of creatives, entrepreneurs and community-minded leaders. It ended up being a “yes” for us on so many levels.
2. What compelled you to create a catering company then open a restaurant?
The catering has grown very organically over the last decade. It started as a side project focused solely on whole pig roasting — which is super random! But we fell in love with this niche way of serving slow food, using beautiful, pasture-raised, local hogs and being a part of all sorts of celebrations. About 5 years into it we made a clear choice to grow the business – taking the leap to “quit our day jobs” and focus on spreading our foodie love throughout Central Texas. The restaurant is another story! When we signed the lease, this huge cafe space that we couldn’t even imagine developing at the time since we were so busy with catering, was just an included bonus. Then Covid hit and completely wiped a super-busy year of catering off the calendar. The silver lining of 2020 for us was getting time to prioritize developing this new world of “bricks and mortar”. No one in their right mind would open a restaurant during a global pandemic, but despite all the fits and starts, it’s slowly starting to work. As things eventually settle back to a semblance of normalcy, we’re hoping Firewild On Main will be a destination, a retreat, a home-away-from home and a comfortable space for all of Elgin and beyond to enjoy. Cafe, bar, event space, marketplace, community resource — it’s exciting to imagine the possibilities!
3. Tell me three things you’ve learned in the past five years.
Keep showing up! Even when the world is topsy turvy and there’s no such thing as “making plans”, just SHOW UP and be ready to do your best.
See the best in people. We have so much to learn from each other and it’s easier to do that when we look for the goodness in one another.
Give yourself a break. Seriously, just do it.
4. What are you currently making, reading, watching, or listening to?
I, like many on the planet, am hooked on the Great British Baking Show. It’s an addictive combination of British silliness, serious critique and the pain and pleasure of watching real people compete and strive to do their best.
5. Cake or Pie?
Pie. With a cake chaser 🙂
Firewild on Main
201 N. Main Street
Elgin, Texas 78621
(512) 573-3412
info@firewildonmain.com
firewildonmain.com
@firewildaustin
@firewildonmain
Bean & Noodle 