18-year-old teenager bought the restaurant she worked in: 'Sky is the limit'

Dreams do come true and this story is about just that. An 18-year-old Ohio resident bought the restaurant she worked in as a teen. At 16, Samantha Frye began working at Rosalie's Restaurant in Strasburg, as per USA Today. She worked as a dishwasher here. She also did other jobs at the same time, she worked at other restaurants and with her father. Soon, she went to study at Ohio State University for their fall semester. She would study environmental engineering here. At this time, she found out that Rosalie's owners wanted to sell off their restaurant and thus she decided to buy it from them. "I was thinking that maybe this was something I wanted to do," she told CBS affiliate WNEM-TV. "I had savings because I was saving for college, so I had quite a bit of money saved away. And I was like, I could possibly do this." She completed her studies, paid the restaurant's down payment, and became its owner in April, as per PEOPLE. 

She never planned to pursue this career but now it has become the center of her life. "Right now, this is so new; this is my priority," she told the outlet. "Five days of the week, I'm in here. If not in here, I'm back there doing prep. The other two days, I'm in the office doing meetings with the sales reps." This decision has been praised by her community and even Rosalie's Leanna Gardner who told WEWS-TV, "I just really think she's a great example of a young lady that is following her dreams and doing what she loves."

Her parents could not have been more proud. In a statement to USA Today, Fyre's mother, Brandi Beitzel, said, "She's always been a go-getter," her mother Brandi Beitzel wrote in a text message. "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." She also that it was not her choice for her daughter's career, but now that she has put her heart to it, she "couldn't be more proud." "I was not on board with her leaving OSU and taking on such a huge responsibility at her age," she explained. "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."

Beitzel added: "I worked in the restaurant industry for 22 years, and I know there are going to (be) many obstacles and challenges ahead of her, but with her drive and ambition, the sky is the limit."

One of Frye's customers, Don Gerber, also has words of appreciation for her, "I think she's a great young lady," he said. "She's got everything all in order, knows what she wants. She's doing what she wants. She's really friendly. I've known her for as long as she's been here working. I knew her grandpa." "When we heard that she bought the place, we were shocked ‒ 18 years old, and she's buying the place, got enough money for a down payment," said Gerber. "How many 18-year-olds do you see like that? Not too many." This one is a truly inspiring story!