This 22-Year-Old Woman Started a Restaurant Where Diners Only Pay What They Can Afford

We love a fierce young woman with big dreams — and great taste in food.

And Francesca Chaney certainly fits the bill!

The 22-year-old grew up in Brooklyn with her mom, Emily, a vegan who taught her daughter the importance of good food and "living off the land."

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Francesca carried that love of fresh food with her to college, where she would cook meals for her friends every Sunday, complete with fresh juices and smoothies — which is when her friends told her everything was so good, she could actually make this a full-time gig.

And she did! She opened her first restaurant, Sol Sips, in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where she's serving up a diverse menu of vegan delights at an extremely wallet-friendly price — as in, you pay what you can afford. The sliding-scale brunch is priced between $7 and $15, and she never turns anyone away.

"We started that initiative," says Francesca, "because we wanted to make sure that everyone that lives here can get more foods that help us to get our nutrients in."

But such altruism doesn't always turn a huge profit, which is why we spoke to dairy-free brand So Delicious — whose products Francesca actually uses in her eatery! — and they donated $5,000 to Francesca's cause.

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Her reaction? STUNNED! And so sweet. (She even thanked her mom!) 

Watch the video above!