In celebration of the many people and cultures that make Austin's heartbeat, during the 2025 Season, ATXFC will highlight Austinites that share part of their heritage/identity with the city.
In honor of Black History Month, Austin FC celebrates Brian Mays, owner of Sam’s BBQ.
“Doing right is good for you and good to you.”
Those are the words of a: Husband. Father. Grandfather. Veteran. Movie Actor. Business Owner. Mentor. Black Man. They are the words of Mr. Brian Mays, Sr.
Since 1957, Sam's BBQ has fed the stomachs and souls of Austin from their E. 12th street location. In 1977, Dan Ivory Mays, Sr., Mr. Mays father, took over Sam’s Bar-B-Que from Sam Campbell. After his father’s passing in 2010, Mr. Mays took over the family business.
For almost 50 years, the Mays family has been an essential part of Austin's historic Eastside, despite changes that have brought headwinds. Today, Mr. Mays stands as a patriarch—father of 18 children and grandfather to 48 grandchildren. Raised in Austin’s Rosewood Projects, he bases his life around:
As a business owner for nearly five decades, Mr. Mays believes “just my being here is Black History, I still own my business.” With that experience and memory of a time that included over 500 Black-owned businesses on the Eastside, he shares that he’s a leader with an open door to the new and old. As he puts it, “I’m here every day. Except, we’re closed on Tuesdays, I got to get a day off.”
He’s far from done and he’s motivated by Richard Overton, another of Austin’s Heartbeats. Overton was a World War II veteran and Austin resident who was the oldest living American man at the time of his death. “Mr. Overton lived to 112 years old, that’s my partner”, Mr. Mays shared about his late friend. “I told him before he died that I’m living past you, I’m going to 115.”
Mr. Brian Mays. A Heartbeat of Austin.
