For Stefanie Corbin starting a new business in the middle of a pandemic was the only option she had. After being laid off from her restaurant management job and not being able to find work anywhere, Corbin realized NOW was as good a time as any to invest in her 20-year dream of opening a bookstore. Corbin launched Footprints Cafe in November of 2020 and opened her brick and mortar that following April with a focus on authors of color. As a Black woman it was important to her that the books she offered provided representation and support for the BIPOC community.

Amplify: Where is Footprints Café located?

Corbin: We are located right on Main Street in Buzzards Bay on the mainland side of Bourne but we also have a digital store on Bookshop.org

Amplify: You mentioned representation being important to you and growing up always loving books and being in libraries. Could you elaborate more on that please?

Corbin: Growing up in Brockton, I was able to walk to the library all the time, in fact my first apartment in Brockton was directly across the street from a library. I loved all the Beverly Cleary (Ramona Quimby series) & Judy Blume books. My favorite being “Are you there God, It’s me Margaret?” It wasn’t until I read “Roll of thunder, hear my cry” (4th grade) when I first read a book by a Black author about Black people. I loved that book so much I wrote a song about it! I was and still am such a dork. It just so happened at that time I moved from a majority black neighborhood/school to an all-white neighborhood. So, the book really resonated with me. Looking back now, I realize why I gravitated to only reading Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Terri McMillan Zora Neale Hurston etc. in middle & high school. It wasn’t consciously. I just felt more of a connection to them because those stories were relatable to me.

Amplify: Did you feel like the libraries you often visited growing up provided books that were all inclusive?

Corbin: As a kid, I never thought about it. Until I read my first Black author and realized I needed more of THAT kind of reading. But there wasn’t a big selection so I would read Black biographies. It’s probably why history & historical fiction are my favorite genres.

Amplify: Is that why you created this beautiful space that you have here for BIPOC communities?

Corbin: YES! it’s exactly why! During the killing of George Floyd and the uproar that followed, and seeing how my kids’ peers were degrading Black people online, I realized WE as a people need our own space where we are represented, where we are comfortable, where we feel we belong and where we can reaffirm WE matter! Where our kids can see THEY matter. At the start of the pandemic, I was laid off. Then George Floyd was killed. My kids and nieces /nephews were experiencing hard core racism for the first time (due to social media) from their own peers. At the same time my youngest son was playing football at UMASS Amherst and running the Black student athlete club and other DEI / Black mental health groups. So, we were having a lot of discussions around the amount of racism on campus and how his black teammates were dealing with that and being secluded due to covid. They didn’t have a “safe space” to discuss everything they were going through. And their white teammates didn’t know what to say to them and not feel like they would offend them. Long story short... I wasn’t going to find another job as a restaurant manager. The industry was dead. So, I decided to open my bookstore, creating a safe space for the BIPOC community. Making sure my books represented us. Making sure both kids and adults can see themselves reflected in the books and that they matter. Also. It’s a judgment free zone. Meaning anyone who wants to learn how to be a better ally is also welcome. You don’t have to know all the right things to say or know our history but be willing to learn. I will never judge anyone for not “knowing”. My goal is for all to feel comfortable enough in my space to ask questions & be willing to learn.

Amplify: How did you go about starting your business?

Corbin: I did a lot of research and then I took a business course through Harbor One Bank. I applied for an SBA loan and got denied which was really frustrating because the $60 application fee is non-refundable and when you're laid off every penny counts. But I knew I had to take risks if I was going to get anywhere so my startup was mostly self funded. I also worked with SCORE Mentors! I have 5 Mentors who help guide me in everything from Marketing to Accounting! One of my mentors use to actually own a bookstore so that experience and knowledge was especially helpful for me as I was trying to get mine off the ground.

Amplify: Where do you see your bookstore in 5 years?

Corbin: So far, the community loves it here! Everyone that comes in has something nice to say and all of the other surrounding businesses have been so kind! My goal is to have the “cafe” part of the bookstore up and running and hopefully the COVID #’s will go down again so we can safely have in person poetry readings and book discussions. I envision this place being THE place to be for the community to come together.

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You can also find Footprints Café at,
Website: https://footprintscafellc.com/
Physical Address: 43 Main St., Buzzards Bay
Phone#: 508.743.5116
Facebook: Footprintscafellc
Instagram: footprints_cafe
Email: footprintscafellc@gmail.com

📸 Photo Cred: Tara Vargas Wallace