Nestled in the southeastern Kentucky town of Harlan is Moonbow Tipple. It's a quaint, cozy coffee shop with space for chairs and sofas, rows of bookshelves and a small fireplace.

Hannah Clem, store manager and baker at Moonbow Tipple, has worked there since it opened in 2019.

"It's been going on six years, I guess, since we've been open here," she said. "But that was a big one, just to have the coffee shop, like a good coffee shop."

Harlan isn't dissimilar to other towns in the region. Famous for its significant coal production — and labor conflicts — in the 20th century, it has since experienced a loss of industry and population, leading to more vacant buildings.

According to Harlan Tourism, around a quarter of its downtown buildings were unoccupied in 2019. The town has since been fi

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