Charlotte King, owner of Tidbit’s Mercantile on the square, said moving her shop to Washington felt like she was coming home.
“I was born in Washington but moved to Peoria when I was 5,” she said.
Now a Germantown Hills resident, King celebrates one year of being open on the square today.
Her specialty shop, she said, reflects her interest in Southwestern, Mexican and Native American cultures with an 1800s twist.
“I’m fascinated with the 1800s. When you go out west you just think about how in the world those people traveled out there on horses. They were survivors,” King said.
Her interest in the 1800s also stems from another hobby: cowboy action shooting.
Part of a group of people who share her interest in the wild, wild west, about once a month, King dons petticoats and spurs and relives a bit of the old wild west excitement with double barrel shotguns, lever-action rifles and single-action pistols at the Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club.
Just one part of King’s eclectic collection, Tidbit’s carries lacy parasols and other western apparel accessories.
In addition to 1800s garb, King’s shop features merchandise from Arizona, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and Mexico.
“I try to stay all American- or Mexican- made merchandise,” she said.
The only shop in the area with old-time western, Native American and Mexican merchandise, King said, a lot of her customers are people with equestrian interests.
In the year she has been located on the square, King said the traffic through her store has increased significantly. Before Feb. 17, 2009, Tidbit’s Mercantile was previously located on Route 116 in Metamora.
“I like being on the square with other little shops. Everyone’s so friendly and the customers are great,” said King.
Owning a business has been a dream of King’s for as long as she can remember. Although she still works full-time in accounting at the Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria, King said she looks forward to the day she can work at the store full-time.
“It’s difficult when you’re a specialty shop. You’re competing against WalMart, so you really have to offer something they don’t have, especially now that people are cutting back.
“I’ve been through four years and I’m hanging in there. I’m not going to give up easily,” said King.
The store is open 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
To celebrate the store’s one-year anniversary in Washington, King said she hopes to entice people with a free gift with a $10 purchase today through Saturday. For more information, visit www.tidbitsmercantile.com.
