Shoppers in Grays Harbor County looking for a new place to browse or ambitious to help support small businesses will be in luck within a few weeks as a new thrift store is set to debut in early February in Montesano.
Laura Schweyen, the owner of the incoming “Once More Thrift Store,” said the process of starting the business has been in the works for some time.
“For years I’ve talked to my family about owning a business but never had the money to do so. I know there are people here that can’t or don’t drive that would love to have a place like this,” Schweyen said via email. “The reason we picked Montesano was that we have family here, as well as in Elma, and we have a church family that has been like our real family.”
Schweyen, who has lived in Montesano for a decade and has extensive roots in Grays Harbor, praised her family’s support and expressed a desire for the new store to turn into a family business with her children and her significant other. With the opening of the store arriving, Schweyen said there will be a “little bit of everything” when it comes to the store selection.
“I have clothes from babies all the way to plus size 4x, shoes, household items, kitchen lines of all kinds, kid’s toys, books of all kinds pictures, small furniture, odds and ends and some older style stuff,” She said. “I might not be able to do everything, but I just want to let people know that my main goal is being a thrift store and helping my community.”
Although Schweyen has a plethora of items ready to sell, she has been open about receiving ideas, noting that she appreciates suggestions from the public and has been taking them into consideration. Despite being a first-time business owner, Schweyen expressed confidence and optimism about the idea.
“I would love to give this a try and see what comes out of it and I just want to say I have had such a warm welcome so far with people that know about my business that have been on Facebook, commenting on stuff and giving donations, and just saying that they’re going to come into my shop. I feel so blessed to live in a place where people care about the small businesses and want to help them out.”
While the goal is to operate a successful thrift store, Schweyen talked about the idea of expanding it more as time goes on including the implementation of a fabric store and renting out space for individuals who partake in craft shows or wish to use the area for small intimate events.
For people who are interested in checking out “Once More Thrift Store,” the small business will be located at 120 West Pioneer Ave., in Montesano. Schweyen anticipates an opening for Saturday, Feb. 4.
Contact Reporter Allen Leister at 360-463-3572 or allen.leister@thedailyworld.com
