When the offer to start a restaurant came, lifelong Portage resident Amanda Autrey took it. Autrey and her parents opened Bam Pizza Company in February 2014. Autrey had worked in the restaurant business before, and she was attending nursing school when they opened the restaurant.
“I just really liked working in the restaurant business, so my parents and I had discussed the opportunity to open up a restaurant,” said Autrey. “My son was about 1, and I was in nursing school. I didn't really feel like it was what I wanted to do. We had discussed opening a restaurant and decided on it in December 2013. We ended up opening in February of 2014.”
Autrey and her family opened the restaurant in the Portage Mall and later opened Super Scoops Ice Cream next door.
“The ice cream came about because we had a dining room in that space,” said Autrey. “When COVID-19 hit, we were using it for storage at that point. I asked, ‘What could we do for this space that we could make money and not just use it for storage?’ That's when I was like, ‘I really wish we had like an ice cream shop in town.’”
Running an ice cream shop is fun for Autrey since she gets to have people who come in to celebrate something.
“The ice cream shop is a ton of fun,” said Autrey. “It's more of a stress relief than it is a stressor. When people come in there, it is because they're celebrating something or they're just trying to take the kids out for a fun night. It's always a fun reason. When people come in, they're always happy. I also have really good employees over there. They're always in good moods.”
Autrey played basketball in high school and college, so she likes to donate back to the schools. She also donates to the little leagues.
“I played basketball and track at Portage, and I ended up playing basketball my first three years of college,” said Autrey. “I know how much money goes into those programs and how beneficial they are for the kids to be able to play sports and potentially get a scholarship. Typically, I donate that to the sports at the high school. I donate to the players’ fundraisers for their teams. I usually sponsor a player.”
When she is not working, Autrey likes going to concerts and White Sox games. She also loves that she gets to see her hometown grow.
“I like the fact that I get to watch Portage grow,” said Autrey. “I like seeing where Portage is going for the future, and getting to evolve with the town has always been cool. Plus, I really love the area. We’re so close to the beach and simultaneously far away from Chicago while being close enough to still visit for a day. That has always been a big thing. Also, my mom is here along with all my other friends, and she is like my best friend.”