From balancing long hours with a mission to become an established food name in Sheridan, Wyoming, Brian Miller and Antonia Armenta-Miller have achieved what many would have thought impossible—selling their very own Bonafide food truck seven years later. After working in hospitality with the dream of owning their own business, the spouses invested everything they had into a 2017 food truck and made the journey from Arizona to Wyoming. From forming successful collaborations to earning Small Business Owner of the Year in 2019, their unparalleled journey towards success is one for the books.
Bonafide Food Truck Sold to Wisconsin Resident
After seven years of hard work and dedication, Brian Miller and Antonia Armenta-Miller have proudly sold their Bonafide food truck to Wisconsin resident Cynthia Sieloff. The couple had a mission to bring something new to the Sheridan food scene, and they succeeded. Even though they will no longer be part of the business, the Millers are ecstatic that someone else will be able to carry on the legacy they created.
Brian and Armenta-Miller had worked in hospitality for many years, but were looking for a new step. When Brian proposed the idea of owning a food truck, inspired by his love for Food Network, the couple sold everything they owned and invested in a 2017 food truck. They drove it from Arizona to Sheridan, Wyoming, an adventure that was not without its difficulties. The name Bonafide was chosen after a line from “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, meaning ‘real and genuine.’ To represent this, the couple chose a logo based on their matching tattoos, already symbolizing their connection before they even started dating.
When they rolled into Sheridan, Brian and Armenta-Miller found that the only existing trailers were WYO Thai and the Burger Wagon. Without any rules or regulations for food trucks, they chose to take a different approach – one of building bridges instead of walls. They actively supported other community businesses, believing that collaboration was a great way to foster success.
The couple’s first event was the Snickers Cup in Big Horn Equestrian Center in May, which later became the Bighorn Mountain Cup. Despite their transmission giving out, they worked hard and managed to sell out, making enough money to cover the cost of repairs. In 2019, their hard work paid off as they earned the title of Small Business Owners of the Year from the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce. After 16-18 hour days, Brian and Armenta-Miller had made it – they had achieved their dream.
Antonia Armenta-Miller and her husband Brian’s catering business, Bonafide, had a monumental year in 2019, being the only company to ever cater three nights of the WYO Rodeo Gold Buckle Club, with over 900 guests in attendance. Not only that, but they also constructed a commercial kitchen for the local community and their catering business in record-breaking time, completely gutting out an old construction company building, buying used restaurant equipment and enlisting the help of various generous volunteers. This is a testament to the power of hard work and the support of the Sheridan community.
Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Armenta-Miller and her husband refused to give up. Instead, they pivoted to create a pickup grocery store out of their garage for those who weren’t comfortable going to other stores, as well as offering meals to go with frozen meals ready to heat. This innovative approach to the pandemic allowed Bonafide to remain resilient and continue offering their services to the community.
In January 2022, Armenta-Miller was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Despite this diagnosis, she remained committed to her business, relying on a core team of six or fewer, and enlisting volunteers from local organizations, church groups, and other community partners to help prepare and serve food at the WYO Rodeo. With courage and determination, Armenta-Miller has kept Bonafide thriving in these uncertain times.
Undeterred by her diagnosis, Armenta-Miller has stayed focused on her ambitions. Her plan to ride her motorcycle through all 50 states at 50 years old was put on hold, yet with unwavering determination she is determined to finish the journey at the age of 51. She will complete the last three states: Oregon, Washington and Alaska. “We are doing weekly treatments in Billings but we are determined to enjoy a break after years upon years of hard work,” Armenta-Miller said proudly. “We don’t know how to do anything small or to scale.”
With the sale of her beloved Bonafide truck, “Merry”, Sieloff has seized a new opportunity to start a fresh chapter in her life. She has two restaurants under her belt, and now with the food truck she plans to create an unforgettable experience for each catering event by theming it accordingly. With an emphasis on local produce, organic ingredients and creative dishes, Sieloff is confident that her truck will make a lasting impression in the community.
She hopes that the people of Sheridan will recognize the impact she has made and continue to fill the gap in the market.
Armenta-Miller is proud of the fact that Bonafide was able to achieve success due to the strong community partnerships. She is honored that these partnerships were so integral to Bonafide’s growth and development as a part of the Sheridan community.
The journey of Brian and Armenta-Miller is a testament to the goods things that can come from having faith, being driven and working hard. With persistence, endurance, collaboration and determination they overcame challenges, paving the way for their impressive bronze and are now ready to pass on the legacy they created to someone else who has a chance to continue to add something new and exciting to the Sheridan food scene. As we congratulate them on this accomplishment we wish her successor the best of luck in their journey going forward.
