From left, Carolyn Abadie, the owner of Book Mart & Cafe, and Hannah Jian discuss the details of creating an online platform for Book Mart & Cafe to sell books on Friday in Starkville. Jian wanted a way to help businesses that are impacted by COVID-19, so she decided to start a pro-bono consulting organization and offer services to a few Starkville businesses. Photo by: Claire Hassler/Dispatch Staff
Business at the Book Mart & Cafe on Main Street in Starkville doesn’t look much like it did before the COVID-19 pandemic descended on the area in March.
Most of the Mississippi State University students who frequented the bookstore and the Bully Shop inside it went home for the summer. A lot of older readers began to stay away for fear of exposure to the virus.