Restaurant owner ended up being in the hospital for months—teen workers' response to his business stunned him

The owners had hired the teens for their quick learning ability and didn't know that they would step up in such a way.

PUBLISHED 3 HOURS AGO

(L) The restaurant owner talking to an interviewer. (R) Teens at work at a restaurant. Cover Image Source: YouTube | KARE 11

Empathy and kindness might come back to a person in bigger ways than they expected. A kind restaurant owner who built and trained a team of teens for her business and helped them through thick and thin didn't know that her kindness would be repaid in such a big way. The owners, Chad Trainor and his wife Carol, had a staff of 30 teenage employees because teenagers learn things fast. However, they didn't know that those teenagers would step up in such a way when the couple faced a crisis, per KARE 11.

A teen taking the order at a restaurant. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Srdjan Pav

"Their ages, 14 to 18, really. They soak up information, they want to learn, they want to do well," Chad explained. Everything was going good at Urban & Olive Vine in Hudson, Wisconsin. Until one day, Carol collapsed while working. "In this room on Sept. 28, she collapsed on this floor and had a grand mal seizure," Chad recounted. Carol had to remain at the Minneapolis MHealth Fairview Hospital for the next eight months, as she slipped in and out of a coma. Her husband stayed right by her side throughout it all and had no time to look after his business. He even considered closing the place, but he didn't know that the teens would cover for them in such a great way. Even though the man hadn't asked anyone to do anything extra.

Woman lying on a hospital bed. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Juanmonino

"They just did it," Chad recalled. The teens did everything it took to keep the place up and running for the next eight months. Acacia Kunkle, 17 and many other team members started arriving at the place at 5:30 AM in the morning to prepare everything for opening time. "I don't really think about things very much, I just kind of go," Acacia expressed. She, along with another homeschooler, Joe Stephenson, 15, worked at the place during the day when the public school kids went to class. The team divided the extra work among themselves, helped each other with roadblocks, decided the daily specials menu and even watered Carol's beloved plants in her absence.

A group of teens working at a restaurant. Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Me 3645 Studio

"Me and Tori mainly, we'd go shopping for Chad. I have pictures of like huge carts of stuff and my car would be full of stuff," Lainey Dombrovski, 16, pointed out. Chad would visit the restaurant at 4 in the morning to put out the schedules and make sure to put one young adult so the place could serve alcohol. As everything was looked after, he could immediately go back to Carol. "It's a family here," Lilly Benzer, 18, shared as they explained how and why they had taken up all the work. The couple hadn't just offered them jobs, but much more. "Carol always offered help with school homework and just life in general," Joe admitted. Carol and Chad also attended pageants and sports days. "It's almost unfair for it not to be reciprocated back to them," Lilly added.

Unfortunately, Carol died in May 2025 at the age of 58. "We didn't know it at the time; my wife was dying and they just thought they were helping out because she needed help, they needed things covered until she came back," Chad said with tears in his eyes. The employees attended the funeral and then started work at the restaurant again the next day. "She was just a really amazing person," Lilly admitted. "Without them, the restaurant would not exist. These kids became adults and ran our business and took care of me," Chad went on. "I love them like they're my own kids."