‘It’s truly more than just a coffee house’: Brooks Co. small business reopens after Hurricane Helene

QUITMAN, Ga. (WALB) – Almost a month after Hurricane Helene, one Quitman business has just reopened as they await federal funds to assist in the reconstruction of their building.

Reel is a coffee shop in downtown Quitman that is connected to PhilanthroFilms, a nonprofit that works to educate and develop the local workforce in the film industry.

“It’s truly more than just a coffee house. It is really a place for the entire community to come. It’s literally the only coffee house in this community,” Honnie Korngold, co-founder of PhilanthroFilms.

After being closed for three weeks due to their roof being blown off by Hurricane Helene, the coffee shop reopened on Saturday, Oct.19, as they work through hurricane reconstruction.

“By the grace of God, our whole coffee and espresso maker and all of our machinery was not damaged and it didn’t get rained on like the rest of the building,” Korngold said.

The coffee shop has to replace the roof, floors, drywall, and paint, but they are waiting on the release of additional funds from the Small Business Administration to assist in the recovery process.

“Hopefully they will be available after the election. They have been really proactive, SBA has in terms of helping us get applications in and ensuring that we are pre-approved when those funds are available; it will be ready to go and we will definitely need them,” Korngold said.

She said they have been able to work with the owner of the building to assist in getting work done before funds are approved in order to be ready to open for the holiday season.

“In the next couple of weeks, we will be done and into November, we will be ready for our big kick-off event where we can welcome everyone back in here,” she said.

Brooks County EMA is working to establish a disaster recovery center for residents and businesses to meet with federal agents about disaster recovery.

On Wednesday, Oct. 23, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, began boots on the ground in Brooks County assisting homeowners with applying for and requesting federal assistance.

Brooks County Emergency Management Agency said FEMA agents were able to assist residents in Troupleville and the city of Quitman before continuing on to other areas like Dixie, Morven and Pavo.

“We have about 115 homes that we reported, so FEMA is contacting those people who reported to me first and after that, everyone else that comes in. You have not been forgotten about, those people are coming to you,” said LaToya Hampton, Brooks County Emergency Management director.

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