When Anthony Smith was hired as a new manager at a Bojangles’ restaurant in Arden, North Carolina, he had to rely on the eatery’s employees to get the scoop on who he could rely on, as he did not know any of the workers.

Working in a fast food restaurant can be a difficult job, since things often get incredibly hectic. From working at the drive through window, to dealing with impatient customers at the register, to flipping burgers in the kitchen, chaos can ensue at any moment. Since not everyone has what it takes to make it in this fast-paced job, Anthony examined his employees closely to figure out who he could count on.

Soon after becoming manager, Anthony learned that one of his employees, high school junior Gabe Bowen, was autistic. Other workers told Anthony that he should relegate Gabe to cleaning tables and picking up in the parking lot, as they said the boy was a shy and introverted teenager who panicked easily.

After working with Gabe for three months, however, Anthony came to his own conclusions about him. Gabe came to Anthony at one point to say that he wanted more responsibilities than just cleaning, but the manager was not sure if he could handle it. It was only when an employee had to leave work early one day and Gabe grabbed the headset to take customers’ orders that Anthony realized just how good an employee he really was!

“I never asked him to do it. He showed great initiative,” Anthony said.

Gabe excelled taking orders that day, and just one day later, Anthony informed him that he would be taking over the job permanently!

“He ran to the back and yelled ‘Yeess!'” Anthony recalled.

Anthony was so touched by Gabe’s reaction that he posted the story to Facebook along with one piece of advice.

“Never Limit Those With The Potential To Be Unlimited!! Go Gabe! My Dude!!” he wrote.

This serves as a reminder to never judge a book by it’s cover, and always give others the chance to show you what they can do! SHARE this story so your friends and family can see this as well!