When it comes to food service, Samantha Frye knows the industry backwards and forwards. She worked at Rosalie’s Restaurant as a dishwasher, server, and eventually a cook. Then, she bought the Ohio eatery with her savings. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, given Samantha’s experience and passion, except for one thing. She’s only 18!
“I started working when I was 14 and then when I was 16, I got two jobs, one of them being here,” said Samantha, according to USA Today. “I eventually had three jobs at one point. And then I worked with my dad. So, basically, I just worked a lot.”
Originally, Samantha had planned to use her savings to go to college. However, a year into her environmental engineering studies at Ohio State University, she found out the Rosalie’s was going up for sale. Not wanting to lose out on the opportunity, she decided to change careers.
“My mom, she was pretty angry at first, because her dream was for me was to finish college,” Samantha said.
Brandi Beitzel, the teen’s mother, has since come around.
“I was not on board with her leaving OSU and taking on such a huge responsibility at her age,” Brandi admitted. “But over time, I warmed up to it and realized that it might not have been the path I envisioned her on but it’s the path she wanted to take.”
Now, Brandi couldn’t be prouder of her daughter.
“She’s always been a go getter,” she said. “Sam just has me in awe! I think back to when I was her age and there is no way I would have had the knowledge or the courage, or even be able to wrap my mind around the enormity of owning a restaurant.”
Although a college degree has been put on the back burner for Samantha, the environment is still very important to her. In fact, she has plans to make her restaurant more sustainable.
“I want to start doing compost eventually, so we’re not wasting as much food,” she said.
While some things may be different at Rosalie’s under Samantha’s management, its name will remain the same.
“It’s working,” she explained. “Why change it?”
Watch the video below to learn more about Samantha’s story.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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