1 of 5

Dana Matte, holding the scissors, along with her husband Jason Matte, to the right of Dana, celebrate the ribbon cutting for Dog Ear Books. The couple owns Wild Fox Coffee which pairs with Dog Ear Books as a business on West Monticello Street in Brookhaven. (Hunter Cloud | The Daily Leader)

From left, Hannah Boatwright reads a book with her mom Caitie Boatwright at the ribbon cutting for Dog Ear Books. (Hunter Cloud | The Daily Leader)

A customer looks through options on a bookshelf at Dog Ear Books. (Hunter Cloud | The Daily Leader)

Whitney Clark, Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, smiles for the camera during a ribbon cutting event at Dog Ear Books in Brookhaven. (Hunter Cloud | The Daily Leader)

BROOKHAVEN — Nearly two years ago Dana and Jason Matte opened Wild Fox Coffee and were chasing a dream of one day opening a bookstore too. Thursday afternoon, customers milled through rooms perusing shelves loaded with new reads in Dog Ear Books as they celebrated a ribbon cutting. 

Dana made it very clear her dream was to open an independent bookstore in Brookhaven where new books were sold in her first interview with The Daily Leader in December 2022. It was a need for Brookhaven but she knew it could not support itself without the coffee shop. 

Dana said they purchased the home located at 512 West Monticello Street in April 2022 and started renovating the space then. Wild Fox Coffee opened up first in Nov. 2022 with the book store officially opening the first week of October 2024. 

“It has been a long ride for sure,” Dana said Thursday. “We are excited to have it open. We have been needing a bookstore for a long time. Jason built the bookshelves and we have spent a lot of nights here. It has been a long haul but we are proud of what we have.”

Her husband bought the lumber, cut the notches and pieced together custom bookshelves in Dog Ear Books. It took him a lot of time as he worked on them outside of his regular job at Walmart Distribution Center. Dana said she helped Jason when she wasn’t working. She is a nurse practitioner at Kings Daughters Medical Center. 

Dana said everything has been going well since they first opened two years ago. In Dec. 2022, they were still waiting for the drive through to be finished. As she talked about the business journey, vehicles flowed through the drive through lane past the front porch and to the window where a barista served them. 

Inside, there is a wide range of different genres and authors for customers to browse. Dana said if a customer can not find what they are looking for they can order a book and have it there in a couple of days. Dog Ear Book’s supplier is Ingram Content Group in Nashville. Local photographer Bill Perkins told the Matte’s the store is one of a few bookstores in southwest Mississippi. 

“We wanted to bring something unique to Brookhaven. We want them to stay home and get the same experience,” Jason said.

Beyond the door to his right, several students sat listening to music, sipping coffee and reading books. Another group talked as they sat at a dining room table set up in a book store section. 

“People come in and get their coffee. They shop for books while waiting,” Dana said. “It does my heart good to see people spend time with each other.” 

More Business

New restaurant aces health inspection

Engineer Dungan wins ACEC/MS top award for 2024

Grace Foam Solutions celebrates grand opening in Wesson

ALDI celebrates opening of Brookhaven store