It may seem impossible, but Carnegie Pizza is opening in a New York lockdown.
I found Jonathan Kaplan on Instagram. I happened to be following his long-time friend, mentor, and fellow restauranteur, Eytan Sugarman, who posted a photo to show his support for the opening of Carnegie Pizza in Times Square.
I can’t really explain why, but I immediately felt drawn to learn more about Jonathan. It turns out his story is both unique and an accurate depiction of what so many entrepreneurs are facing during this difficult time.
He’s one of too many small business owners swept up in the economic hurricane that is COVID-19, grappling with uncertainty and doing his best to navigate an industry he’s known all of his life.
This is his story.
PS, If you listen to the end, you’ll hear a funny anecdote about the uncanny nature of our initial chat and the minor heart attack I gave him when I reached out to him for this interview about opening in a New York lockdown.