Hundreds of small business have been lost | Morning Newsletter

Since March, the Philadelphia region has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic in many ways, including infections and deaths as well as layoffs and business closures. The full impact is still being measured, but initial numbers, unfortunately, show hundreds of small businesses permanently closing in the area.

But there is at least one that’s sticking around, for now. This week, we chatted with Michael Klein to learn more about Philly 10-year-old Micah Harrigan, who is selling lemonade — with his own debit card and LLC.

— Lauren Aguirre (@laurencaguirre, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Each week we go behind the scenes with one of our reporters or editors to discuss their work and the challenges they face along the way. This week we chat with Michael Klein about Micah Harrigan, the 10-year-old entrepreneur with his own official lemonade business.

How did you find out about Micah’s story?

A friend tagged me in an Instagram post of his (@Micahsmixx). I liked the genuineness. People were rooting for him. We’ve all shared his hopes and dreams when we were young, and so many of us remember our first lemonade stand. His innocence is refreshing. When you realize the obvious — that his childhood is playing out among these difficult times — you can’t help but support him.

How are you keeping up with Micah’s business developments?

Simple. I keep an eye on Instagram and just check in with his mom, Danielle. I have to keep in mind that he’s 10 years old and that she is not some media strategist or pushy “stage mom.” There are no PR people or consultants involved here. This is Micah.

What is something you learned while reporting this story?

This was an eye-opener: Danielle told me when we first met how happy she was to see a reporter in their neighborhood who wasn’t there to cover something grim, like crime news.

What is one thing you’ll never forget about Micah and his life? What keeps you coming back?

I absolutely love his tenacity and his innocence, and I admire his mom for encouraging him and not saying “no” to his ideas, like becoming an LLC. She wants him to figure things out for himself, within reason.

What drew you to reporting and to food reporting in particular?

I like to tell stories about people, and I’m the son of restaurant owners who decided many years ago that the restaurant life was not for me. I don’t consider myself a food reporter, per se. And I am certainly not a critic. I write about the food business and the people in it — not so much about the food itself. I leave the quote-fingers “food” writing to the experts.

What is one thing you wish more people better understood about your job?

I’ve always likened the restaurant/food beat to standing at Niagara Falls with a cup. There’s just so much worth writing about, but lots of it will get away. I’m trying to show readers what’s new out there — those quick hits, like a new business — while also painting a big picture that is changing constantly. (I’m also trying to limit my use of similes and metaphors.)

Email Michael Klein at mklein@inquirer.com and follow him on Twitter at @phillyinsider.

This is an incredibly wicked shot. I don’t know another way to describe it. Nice work, @datelib!

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