Karthik Christo sits under a tree outside the George Coles building in Charlottetown.
It’s July 31 – Day 4 of a record-breaking heatwave. A man walks by, wearing a tank top that doesn’t stop the sweating, and notices the 12-year-old entrepreneur.
He keeps walking, then pivots for a double-take. Karthik has a cooler in front of him, packed with cool and refreshing carbonated beverages.
He’s selling them for a loonie each.
“That’s a great deal,” Tank Top says.
The Charlottetown Pop Boy pops open the cooler, gives the customer his pick, then makes change for a 10-sheet. Tank Top carries on his way, can in hand as it drips with condensation.
“You’re the man, bro.”
Karthik then carries his cooler and lawn chair a bit to the right. The tree’s shadow wasn’t stopping for him, but there were still plenty of passerby’s who might.
He’s been running his business for just over a month. He’s trying to earn some spending money before starting Grade 7 at Birchwood Intermediate School this September.
“So, I don’t have to ask my parents for cash,” he says.
Typically, he sets up shop on sunny afternoons, as soon as his summer camp ends for the day. At first, he tried operating the Grafton Street side of the building, but he soon moved beside Richmond Street because that’s where tour buses park.
“When people come out, they might see me.”
The warmer the day, the more business he gets. He has some reliable patrons who pop by regularly, including construction workers restoring the nearby Province House.
His soft drink selection spans the spectrum, with Pepsi, Coke, root beer and other classics filling his cola cooler to the brim. Bottled water sells just as well as his fizzy flagships, and upon recommendation, he’s considering adding lemonade to the lineup.
“(And) I sometimes sell kool-aid for kids.”
He and his family moved to P.E.I. from India four years ago. His parents have been very supportive, supplying him with product and driving to resupply him when he runs out.
“I only give them back the money that they had to spend.”
If things slow down, Karthik thinks of ways to improve the business. He’s planning to do this every summer, and he’s interested in being an entrepreneur when he’s older.
He finds kids his age play video games too much. While he enjoys them, too, he wanted to spend his time doing something more productive this summer, he said.
“I’m trying to change other kids' minds. Like get out of the video games and start working.”
