Teenage forgoes college for $100K restaurant management job
The Morrison family believes that entrepreneurship should be taught at a young age, and their daughter Gabby Morrison, 16, is set to earn $100,000 per year by opening the second location of their family business. When Gabby was only five years old, her parents, Shawn and Kiana Morrison, opened Nana Morrison’s Soul Food in Charlotte. Gabby began performing employee tasks like taking orders, cleaning tables, and restocking supplies, and at six years old, her parents helped her file her first tax return. By age 10, Gabby was handling complex tasks such as hiring, creating employee schedules, managing payroll, and inventory orders.
Gabby’s experience taught her how to balance school work and a part-time job, which prepared her to fully run their second location at the age of 17. Even though she is confident in her ability to complete college and manage Nana, Gabby decided to forego continuing her higher education to run the new location due to the restaurant’s booming business.
Her parents fully support her decision, seeing her hard work and dedication to both school and the store. Despite working part-time, Gabby consistently made the honor roll at Marvin Ridge High School and will graduate early in December.
According to her parents, Gabby is always at the new location, checking on things and making sure everything is right. She handles everything from vendor contracts to inventory during her lunch break. Her father, Shawn, said, “Some guys’ 16-year-olds are out chasing guys, and our 16-year-old daughter is gonna be running a multimillion-dollar business.”
The Morrison family’s restaurant, Nana Morrison’s Soul Food, has two locations: 2908 Oak Lake Blvd Suite #106, Charlotte, NC 28208, and the new location opening on May 1 at 3824 Corning Place, Suite A, Charlotte, NC 28216.
