CINCINNATI, Ohio — Opening a small business is a milestone for any entrepreneur, but for one Ohio couple, a sudden setback threatened to undo all their hard work.
Adam Cameron and his husband, Channy Chhay, co-owners of Georgie’s Walk-Up in University Heights in Cincinnati, faced an unexpected challenge in September when their coffee shop was broken into. The front door was shattered and the cash register stolen, leaving the couple questioning if they had bitten off more than they could chew.
“That Saturday and Sunday, as the door was boarded up and it was kind of dark in here while we were working, I wondered if we had made a mistake,” Cameron said.
The shop, named after Adam’s therapy dog, Georgie, had only recently opened and was quickly becoming a community gathering spot. Adam, who battled stage 4 lymphoma, said his recovery and new beginnings were part of his journey back to normalcy. After months of chemotherapy, he is now in remission.
“My customers come in all the time with a recipe or something, and they want to try to duplicate it,” Cameron said.
Following the break-in, the community rallied around the couple. A GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $5,000, far exceeding the couple’s expectations.
“It’s amazing. These are strangers. It restored my faith in society as much as I can summarize it,” Chhay said.
Though the search for the burglar continues, the couple is focused on the future, welcoming customers with coffee, creativity and community spirit.
“It’s become a community space. We’ve enabled it, but they’ve taken it and they’ve embodied it. I think that’s the most important thing here,” Cameron said.
The GoFundMe has now been closed after reaching its goal, and the owners encourage the community to show support by visiting Georgie’s Walk-Up.