CHANGING WITH THE TIMES

  • AJ’s Hot Wings & More, which first opened across from Walmart 17 years ago, believe it or not, previously closed for six months before relaunching in February as Good Eats Healthy Living of Milledgeville. It wasn’t the first time that the restaurant’s owner – Antoine Wiley – has had to change with the times. CHRISTIAN McKEARNEY/Staff
    AJ’s Hot Wings & More, which first opened across from Walmart 17 years ago, believe it or not, previously closed for six months before relaunching in February as Good Eats Healthy Living of Milledgeville. It wasn’t the first time that the restaurant’s owner – Antoine Wiley – has had to change with the times. CHRISTIAN McKEARNEY/Staff
  • Good Eats’ Fried Green Tomato BLT Burger was touted as “a homemade all-beef burger patty with lettuce, fried green tomato, bacon, cheddar cheese, and garlic aioli spread.” CONTRIBUTED
    Good Eats’ Fried Green Tomato BLT Burger was touted as “a homemade all-beef burger patty with lettuce, fried green tomato, bacon, cheddar cheese, and garlic aioli spread.” CONTRIBUTED

    Antoine Wiley’s path to entrepreneurship is a classic Milledgeville story, as well as a case study in how the local economy has changed in the last 20 years.

    Wiley was 24 when he first went to work at Central State Hospital, and the plan was to stay there for 30 years and retire with a nice state government pension, which was the old Milledgeville way. At some point, however, Wiley put two and two together and realized that the Central State train was reaching the end of the tracks.

    “It was a little scary,” Wiley said. “Anytime you have to change careers is a little scary.”

    Wiley took a leap of faith and decided to to get into the restaurant business. His sister already owned one in Wrightsville, and Wiley was helping out on the weekends. So, Wiley decided to bring a similar concept to Milledgeville, opening AJ’s Wings and More on North Columbia Street in 2009. That went well, so Wiley opened a second location on Elbert Street, in the shadow of the Old Capitol Building.

    The years went by, and Wiley once again realized that the times were a-changing, and customers’ eating habits were changing, so it was time for a refresh. AJ’s northside location closed in August 2025 before relaunching earlier this year as Good Eats Healthy Living of Milledgeville. Good Eats still has AJ’s old wings and sandwich menu, but it also features items such as black bean burgers and “Power Rice Bowls.” The Asian bowl is a combination of broccoli, carrots and almonds.

    Needless to say, vegan wasn’t as relevant in Milledgeville back in 2009 as it is now.

    “I opened the first Good Eats in 2019 in Atlanta,” Wiley said. “It survived COVID. It’s still going well, so when I decided to remodel AJ’s, I decided to bring that concept down here.”

    Good Eats of Milledgeville recently won its first award, taking home the Peoples Choice award during the recent 2026 Milledgeville Burger Week. The restaurant’s Fried Green Tomato BLT Burger was “a mix between a BLT and a Big Mac, with some nice fried green tomatoes thrown in there,” said Wiley.

    So, what’s the secret to have an award-winning burger?

    “One of the main secrets is just to have a good, juicy burger,” he said. “We literally buy ground chuck, season it, weigh it at eight ounces and throw it on the grill. Get a good sear on both sides and let the burger cook.”

    Wiley had one additional nuanced pro tip for creating a better burger.

    “When the juices turn from red bubbles to white bubbles,” Wiley said, “the burger is ready.”