NEWPORT, Tenn. — Around 2 months after Hurricane Helene brought deadly flooding to Newport, putting much of the community underwater, some small businesses are still working to recover.
Melissa Ackerman and Corey Ackerman run Snowbird Mountain Coffee Co., which saw more than a foot of water pour through its doors during Hurricane Helene. While pouring cups of coffee and working to rebuild their business, they are also making connections. They said their result has made the coffee shop a vital part of the recovering community.
"It's a place where businesses will meet, where students will go to study," said Melissa. "This shop has been everything we have worked really hard for."
As the community around it recovers, the coffee shop offered a "pay what you can" approach to coffee. It also said other companies stepped in to help after the coffee shop lost around $20,000 worth of equipment, products and sales. It had to shut down for 10 days after Hurricane Helene, and the owners said sales have been down since reopening.
"We're not a corporation. My people are not just a number. My customers are not just a ticket," said Melissa.
The coffee shop is also one of several businesses that got financial help through Cocke County's Mountain Strong Fund. Leaders said around $250,000 has been distributed to small businesses through the fund, meant to bolster recovery efforts.
"It goes a long way emotionally because it shows that people do care that you lost something," said Corey. "We need people who weren't affected by the floods to come to Newport and to help support it until they're people here back on their feet."
The coffee shop is located at 237 East Broadway in Newport, Suite 2.