An 18-Year-Old Bought a Restaurant and Runs It Alone, But There’s a Catch

Dylan Larson bought a small restaurant in Michigan at just 18 years old. Now 21, he runs Rare Earth Goods Café in Ishpeming completely alone. He takes every order, cooks every meal, washes every dish, and manages the books, including taxes. When he gets sick, the café simply closes until he recovers.

Most restaurant owners rely on full staff to survive. Research from UC Berkeley shows about 17 percent of U.S. restaurants close within their first year, with nearly half shutting down within five years. Tight profit margins and financial strain claim most victims. Larson operates on an entirely different scale, living on the edge with no safety net.

The challenges extend beyond staffing. Local building codes make kitchen expansion prohibitively expensive. He works with a small electric griddle, a four-slice toaster, and one countertop convection oven. He can make only two omelets at a time, or four pancakes. On busy days, customers wait 30 to 45 minutes. “It’s a lot of work,” Larson told the Detroit Free Press. “But I love it.”

The Challenge That Changed Everything

Larson grew up in a faded mining town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the middle of three boys raised by a single mother facing financial strain and health issues. His mother, Angela Olin, noticed early that something set him apart from his brothers. After medical appointments, doctors diagnosed him with Tourette’s syndrome at age eight.

“Being diagnosed with Tourette’s at a very young age, I was always just a little different than some people,” he said. “I was noisier or a little bit more, I don’t know, just louder than other people. I was like, shouting in class.” His involuntary vocal outbursts sometimes scared people. He cycled through behavioral specialists, occupational therapists, and tutors searching for relief

According to the Tourette Association of America, people with the condition often experience involuntary tics that intensify under stress and fatigue, the exact conditions common in fast-paced food service. Individuals with Tourette’s face employment barriers, including stigma and workplace misunderstandings. For Larson, that friction appeared early. Nothing regulated his energy quite like cooking did.

From Dreams to Reality

Larson had been thinking about opening a restaurant since age six. Growing up with a gluten-free mother and lactose-intolerant brother taught him to plan meals around dietary restrictions. That early clarity is rare. Forbes reports that only about 6 percent of small-business owners start before age 35. Most don’t become entrepreneurs until after years in the workforce.

At 17, Larson landed an internship through a local program placing young people with special needs into entry-level jobs. That’s when he met Pam Perkins, owner of Rare Earth Goods & Café. She remembered him from years earlier when he volunteered at a Lions Club breakfast. “He really, really wanted to cook, but I put him on dishes,” Perkins recalled. “He’s like, ‘What can I do next?'”

Within months, Larson became head chef. When Perkins decided to retire, Larson made an offer despite having only a few thousand dollars in savings. They worked out a deal. The restaurant where he once scrubbed dishes became his. He also bought the house next door through a land contract, making him both a business owner and a homeowner while still a teenager.

Building Community Through Food

The work ethic hasn’t gone unnoticed. His customers aren’t just regulars; they’re fiercely loyal. “We want to see him succeed,” said Sue Johnson, 73. “The food’s good. He’s very accommodating to your meal. He’ll do anything any way you want it. And he’s a local. You like to support your locals.”

A study by Vital Communities found independent, locally owned businesses reinvest far more into their communities than national chains. Local retailers kept about 55 percent of revenue in the local economy, while local restaurants kept nearly 68 percent. National chains reinvested just 13.6 percent and 30 percent respectively. Larson embraces this community-first model completely.

He sources ingredients locally and gives back regularly. He’s participated in Toys for Tots, donated profits after a local house fire, supported Sister Stockings, funded haunted hayrides, and offered free coffee mugs for food pantry donations. For Larson, the café provides focus that quiets everything else. “When I’m in the kitchen, I just don’t feel like I have Tourette’s anymore,” he said. “I do better when it’s busy. I don’t have time to stress.”