Lady in Waiting Making the leap from employee to entrepreneur.

While a waitress becoming a restaurateur might sound like a fairytale, that's actually the most common way Beef 'O' Brady's franchises are started. Tamara Berry, 42, is one such franchisee--she knows Beef 'O' Brady's like the back of her hand, having waited tables there for over 15 years.

Berry's transition was unusual, coming after her then-fiancé, now-husband, Travis, got into an accident. Berry moved into his home to take care of him and commuted 80 miles to Beef 'O' Brady's, working double shifts to cover their financial needs. Eventually, they realized they needed more income. Berry decided to go with what she knew and opened her own Beef 'O' Brady's. After refinancing her house and naming her mother-in-law and father-in-law as partners, Berry opened for business in Inverness, Florida, in October 2006.