Forced to close temporarily after flooding last Friday caused extensive damage, Avid Bookshop's Five Points store in Athens, Ga., re-opened yesterday, tweeting: "Thank goodness for an amazing landlord and a fabulous community." Friends of the Avid had created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help the bookstore. Owner Janet Geddis opened the location in 2016; the original Avid, which is on Prince Ave. in Athens, opened in 2011.
On Facebook, Avid Bookshop announced the reopening, adding: "Bear with us as we get things back in order--it’ll probably be a little messy for a bit. We are incredibly lucky not to have suffered more damage. Quick action from our staff, the construction company on site, our landlord, some customers who were present, and even one guy we were interviewing for a job pitched in to minimize long-term damage. Yesterday we began the laborious process of dealing with insurance companies (yes, plural) and are still calculating the overall cost of this water damage, from missed sales to damaged books to sodden merchandise to wages. Thank goodness for an amazing landlord and a fabulous community. We are resilient because of your support. Thanks so much for shopping online and/or buying some extra loot at Avid on Prince the last few days. We value being a part of Athens and a part of the literary world, and we appreciate your rallying around us now and always. Much love to you all."