When Mitch Moberg first opened Bigfoot Treasure — formerly known as the Twin Cities Trading Post — in downtown Chehalis, he wanted his gift shop to have a wide variety of hard-to-find and unique items.
He succeeded. Customers at the store can find cryptid- and paranormal-themed clothes, magnets, stickers, gifts themed after video games, even bacon-flavored candy canes.
“Bigfoot Treasure can be whatever you want it to be, that’s how it started,” Moberg said. “We wanted something that we could make it whatever you wanted, and if you look around the store you can see we have a little bit of everything.”
And if a customer can’t find a certain item at Bigfoot Treasure, Moberg said he will track it down and get it in stock for them.
Now, 14 years after initially opening, Moberg celebrated his success and recent renaming with an official Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 14.
Taking the name Bigfoot Treasure was a natural choice given the creature’s lore in Southwest Washington, Moberg said, but he hasn’t had a sighting of the elusive creature himself.
“If you get out in the woods enough, you might hear a couple things, might see a couple things,” said Moberg. “It definitely makes going hiking a little more interesting.”
Originally from Sumner, Moberg has lived in Chehalis for 20 years now. Support from the community, he said, motivated him to start the business.
“It’s very supportive here,” Moberg said. “It’s definitely a business family and we’re all supportive of each other.”
Even when he first opened Bigfoot Treasure, Moberg said, Chehalis businesses and customers welcomed him with open arms and helped coach and mentor him while he was establishing his roots.
“That was something I definitely appreciated,” said Moberg.
Nowadays, the same supportive community still exists in downtown Chehalis, and Moberg utilizes it frequently.
“If I have a question, I can go to any of the businesses down here and say, ‘Hey, give me a little guidance on this one.’ Or, ‘Can I bounce something off of you?’ Everyone is pretty much open-door,” Moberg said.
Others would likely be surprised at how often the downtown business owners help each other and ask advice, he said.
Bigfoot Treasure is located at 548 N. Market Blvd., Chehalis. For more information, call Bigfoot Treasure at 360-996-4259 or find the business on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BigfootTreasure.
