Kingsbury and Braxton’s mother petitioned the N.C. Department of Labor for a waiver allowing Braxton to continue working at the restaurant. They got permission, as long as he did not work over an open flame or handle alcohol.

State officials have since permitted Braxton to continue working at Pazzo because of the benefits the job has brought him.

“We’ve seen him grow tremendously,” Kingsbury said. “He’s on the honor roll now, and he’s become more personable and extroverted. He wants to be a chef.”

Youth employment issues have become increasingly rare in North Carolina —the N.C. Department of Labor received no reported violations in Orange County from 2006 and 2010, said Dolores Quesenberry, spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Labor.

And Chapel Hill restaurants have their own reasons for not wanting to break that trend.

“We rarely hire anyone under 18,” said Drew Hansel, floor manager of 411 West. “They’re really too young and therefore don’t have much experience.”

But Gavin Toth, floor manager at Spanky’s Restaurant, said though he doesn’t hire people under 16 because it is against the law, he thinks they would be able gain more experience if he could.

“I first started working at a restaurant when I was 15,” he said. “It teaches you that you have to work for your money.”

Chris Howell, a clinical instructor at the UNC School of Social Work, said child labor laws evolved in early industrial America, when children were employed in unsafe conditions.

“I don’t think we’re in a situation where that happens much anymore, but kids may be exploited and taken advantage of in different ways,” she said.

And Kingsbury said that while he appreciates that the laws are in place to protect children, sometimes they merit exception.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to thinks we’ve done a great thing,” Kingsbury said. “We didn’t realize we’d get into so much trouble.”

Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com.