EAST COBB, GA — Several businesses in East Cobb are cleaning up and waiting on insurance decisions after a weekend fire left the Village East shopping center on Roswell Road with heavy smoke damage.

Among those affected is Bookmiser, an independent bookstore that has operated for 27 years. Owner Annell Gerson said more than 35,000 books inside the shop are now covered in soot.

“Everything’s covered in soot,” Gerson said. “There’s an upholstery shop, so obviously everything that they were working on was ruined. There’s a Chinese restaurant and they spent the last couple of days throwing all of their food away.”

Gerson learned of the fire from one of her employees, who spotted fire trucks while driving past the store over the weekend. Investigators believe the fire began at a computer and cell phone repair business in the complex, possibly sparked by a lithium battery.

While Bookmiser’s doors remain closed, Gerson says customers can still support the store online and through community outreach. She hopes to reopen this fall.

“We like to think that we’re tiny but mighty and we are still here,” Gerson said.

Other businesses in the shopping center are also temporarily closed as cleanup continues.

WSB’s Jennifer Perry contributed to this story