- Crawfordville is growing and we’ve seen businesses come and go
- Local business owners say they rely on their community to stay open
- Watch the video to see how local businesses stay successful in a small town.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A good cup of coffee and a sense of community, that’s what Nancie Weldy was going for when she opened Lunar Bay Coffee Shop.
“For me, it’s not so much the love for coffee, it’s for the people here just having that community hub for people so that’s why we really wanted to get this started.”
They opened in July and are one of the only sit-down coffee shops in Crawfordville.
Weldy says business has been steady, but they’re trying to spread the word about their shop.
The Black Cat Metaphysical Shop is another local business in Crawfordville, working hard to flourish.
The owner, Susan Kelley says the support from neighbors is what helps her store and other local businesses stay open.
“This is their livelihood, when you put money into small businesses it goes back into the community.”
After living in the county for 30 years, she opened her store to serve others and believes that’s the experience local businesses provide for this area.
“The customer service that you’re gonna get from a small business is a whole lot better than going to a big corporation because your family friends and relatives are the ones who own the small businesses.”
Despite the challenges of owning a small business in Crawfordville, Weldy believes maintaining a sense of community is what will keep local businesses alive.
“I want customers to feel like this is their second home because a lot of businesses I go there’s no real conversation and I think that is where we’re going to shine, I think that having that is going to be an amazing experience.”
Both Kelley and Weldy believe that local businesses are the heart of this neighborhood.
