Thirteen-year-old summer resident Sam Milazzo knows how to toe the line.
While most youngsters turn to lemonade stands to cushion their weekly allowance, thirteen-year-old Sam Milazzo is making a whole different kind of stand. He’s standing in line — for fat fees. Whether at the Juice Bar or a restaurant that requires making a reservation in person, Sam offers up his time so you don’t have to miss a minute on the beach. Meet Nantucket’s newest small business: Stand In Sam.
Dinner reservations are Sam’s bread and butter. Every afternoon, reservations are accepted for same day dining at many island hotspots, but demand is high and spots fill up fast. “You should get there an hour or two early, because that’s when the line really starts,” says Sam. For a $100, he’s happy to wait for you.
“I love the entrepreneurial spirit!” says Sam’s father, Samuel Owen Gallery owner Lee Milazzo, who helped his son launch a website, design business cards and spread the word. “The first client Sam got was because I told someone at the gallery about it,” Lee muses, “and then they told somebody, then that person told somebody. Then I got a random email from someone saying, ‘A friend of mine was on Nantucket last weekend and heard about Stand In Sam and gave me your email address. Can I get an introduction?’”
Although the business is new this season, Sam expects to be busier next year, and even has plans to hire staff to cover additional reservation requests (a person can only make one reservation per day at each establishment, and Sam offers his employees a 25 percent cut of the profits.)
An avid surfer, the Greenwich, CT native is saving the money he makes for his first longboard, a Joel Tudor model. “Not a lot of kids my age are making $100 every time they do something,” Sam smiles, clearly learning early that time, especially on this island, is money.
To make your reservation, click here.
