Coronavirus Impact: Picking Up Lunch For Health Care Workers Leads To Inspirational Story

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - One South Florida woman was inspired by all the generosity of people in a Facebook group called 'South Florida Curbside & Takeout during the shutdown,' created to help support local restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic.

That woman, Gaby Martinez, decided to buy lunch for health care workers and in doing so, she also ended up supporting a new and very deserving small business owner.

"This beautiful restaurant as you see in Davie. She's the owner of this amazing pizza," said Martinez, in a cellphone video she took of the shop.

While Martinez and her husband Tony picked up pizzas from Amore Pizza to donate to Memorial Hospitals in Hollywood and Pembroke Pines, she got a lot more than just pizza. Martinez was inspired and felt the need to share what she calls an 'amazing story.'

That inspiration came from 25-year-old Kayla Roof, who started as a cashier at Amore Pizza when she was just a teenager.

"I was 15 when I started," said Roof. "I didn't want to cashier anymore, I said please let me make pizzas. I started making pizzas, learned how to cook, make dough, pizza sauce, pasta, everything."

Roof really learned the ins and outs of the restaurant. After working there for 10 years, last month, she and her brother Kyle decided to take over, thanks to an early inheritance gift from their grandfather.

"He wanted to [give us the inheritance] before he passed away, so he could see what came about," said Roof. "It was a blessing in disguise."

It may not be the best tie to become a small business owner for the first time, and Roof's had to get creative. She put together family-friendly pizza kits, so kids can also get in the kitchen. She's also donating when she can.

Roof may be a new leader, but she's already risen to the challenge.

"Not only has she learned how to make pizza, she's learned how to be a great boss," said one of her now employees in the video taken by Martinez.

Hundreds shared Martinez's call to help Roof, and many chimed in to say they would be happy to support such a genuine and hard-working person.

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