Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Mylius.
Hi Kyle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
After working in Food and Beverage from a very early age, I started the Root Cellar Cafe at the age of 25 in Downtown San Marcos in 2005. Several years of blood/sweat/and tears later, my team and I were able to grow the Root Cellar into one of the busiest and most respected restaurants in the area. I then began to see and take opportunities to launch other concepts with several of the people that helped me make the Root Cellar a success. These now include Rhea’s Ice Cream, Root Cellar Catering Co., The Coffee Bar, Tin Top Burgers, The Gruene Grove, and Wurst in Gruene. This has been such a great way to grow our restaurant group, The Tap Root Restaurant Collective, while providing upward mobility and ownership for our most valuable team members.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey has been far from smooth. I started severely undercapitalized. I survived on tips alone for the first 3 years until I was able to finally take my first small paycheck. This forced me to become a very creative problem solver along the way, a skill that is beyond valuable still today. More recently, we are still struggling to overcome the abundance of challenges that the pandemic has presented our industry. Labor shortages, increased cost of goods, and shaken consumer confidence have seemed too much to overcome at times over the last two years. It has reminded me, however, that my colleagues in the restaurant industry are among the most hard working and mentally strong individuals anywhere.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Tap Root Restaurant Collective?
The Tap Root is comprised of:
The Root Cellar Cafe: From scratch Americana serving Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Rhea’s Ice Cream: Eclectic, slow-churned, premium Ice Cream
Tin Top Burgers: A throwback burger joint with an artisan twist
Root Cellar Catering Co: Catering Events and Weddings with the finest of Hill Country Cuisine
The Gruene Grove: A live music venue and beer garden located in the heart of old town Gruene
Goodwin’s: Prohibition Era Speakeasy with world class cocktails
Wurst in Gruene: Best little food trailer in Texas serving mouth watering Brats with a gourmet twist
We are most proud to create concepts and spaces that the communities we serve can truly be proud of. We are passionate about providing a level of service that stands alone.
What are your plans for the future?
We are excited to launch our second location of The Root Cellar Cafe in New Braunfels at the end of this year. Additionally, we will be opening our 4th location of Rhea’s Ice Cream in downtown Kyle spring of 23. Beyond that, wh0 knows what opportunities will present themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: thetaproot.com
