By Jim Roberts

Opening a brick-and-mortar business in the middle of a global pandemic might not seem like a wise move, but Ty and Christine Harrell have made it work—not by promoting their Equinox Coffee Co. brand, but by launching a weekly open-air market in Old Dominion University's University Village.

They created Market on Monarch Way to celebrate the University Village community, bringing together their neighboring businesses, ODU's arts programs and a variety of local farmers, artisans and food trucks.