TEMPLE, Texas — The heart of Temple, TX continues to grow, but as the city flips the page, one historic business could be on its final chapter.
Mickey White is the owner of "The Book Cellar" in downtown Temple. White says the store served as a speak-easy and a bar before it became a bookstore in the 1970's.
"I'm hoping to keep this place open until everything gets done in downtown. But we've been losing 5 thousand dollars a month," said White.
White took over the bookstore back in 2013 and says the store has been a part of his life since he was a teenager.
"I'd say it's sentimental. The first time I came down here, I was 17 years old. I used to come down regularly after that because I always collected some more books," said White.
In a recent post on Facebook, White told the community he can no longer keep the business going due to economic problems.
"Maybe things can change, if we're a couple months in and we start to see it's steadying back out then maybe we'll get lucky and be able to keep it open... That's all it is at this point, it's hope," said White.
The Book Cellar is located on 3 W. Central Ave in Temple, TX.
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