Boston Small Business Owners - Restaurants & Retail Trends

Two weeks into my new role covering the business of restaurants and retail for Boston Globe Media, and I'm constantly reminded why I love these beats. One of the things that drew me to this job was the opportunity to get back to Boston, the city I've always called "home," and my small business reporting roots to dig into the bigger forces shaping the region's economy. In a short period of time, I've had the chance to do both. I reported on the latest wave of independent coffee and matcha pop-ups (like Tam Le's Cà Phê Collective and Sompetch Katisomsakul's Newbery Street Coffee Roasters) reshaping Boston's café scene, and I took a closer look at the shuttering of all Clover restaurants and what it says about the challenges facing operators today. Both stories landed on A1, and both explored the different sides of the local business landscape in Boston. As I continue building sources and learning the beat, I'd love to hear from business owners, workers, investors, developers, industry leaders, and anyone else with a story (or scoop!) to tell. My inbox is open: [email redacted].