By DAVID TELLER
Staff Reporter
Earlier this summer, Dan Stadtmueller instructed his youngest daughter, Elizabeth, 17, to establish an account for his business, the Cheney Thrift Store. Beleaguered, she complied.
The next day, he surprised his daughter, who is going to be a senior at Cheney High School, with the business license to the store, making her the proprietor.
Elizabeth said she was a bit taken by the change.
“Owning the store is not what I had in mind,” she said. “I didn't want the store.”
Her father, who has owned the business for six years, bowed out of the ownership responsibility to pursue other endeavors. Elizabeth took over the store July 9.
Originally, the Stadtmueller's business at 111 College St. was called The Study Hall, which was a coffee shop. Stadtmueller said her father changed the business to a thrift store about four years ago.
The decision to make Elizabeth, the youngest of four daughters, the successor was a logical choice: She's the only one left in the area and she said her father wanted to keep the business and the building in the family. The end result is unusual.
“My life has become kind of a sitcom,” Stadtmueller said.
She added that she shares the ownership of the building with her three other sisters, who are scattered across the Western U.S. (Seattle, Boise and Texas).
Stadtmueller said her father is still available for consultation. She said her father helps her with the accounting, something she appreciates since she said she hates math. She said he advises her on the business, but all decisions are hers.
Stadtmueller said she has recruited some friends to help her with the operations of the business. She said one of her first tasks was cleaning up the store, which has an abundance of merchandise. She said she is also liquidating merchandise that has been in the store too long.
“I'm tired of having things that freak me out,” Stadtmueller said.
She is organizing the store by categorizing the merchandise and moving things to where they “belong.” The biggest difference is visible immediately upon entering the store, as it is more open and less cluttered.
The merchandise she is carrying is more select. She said she is going to continue with house wares, books, DVDs and clothing, but stresses she only wants quality merchandise and is not buying anything. She said she taking merchandise on a donation basis only.
Running the business means becoming more proactive. Aside from advertising, Stadtmueller also said she has joined the Cheney Merchants Association and begun talking to other businesses.
Self-education is another key to her business strategy. Stadtmueller said she is learning more about the business by going to other thrift stores to see what they're doing. She said she is keeping apprised of competitive prices by going online to see what other traders are asking for their merchandise.
Clientele is another emphasis she is working on. Stadtmueller said she wants to draw in a younger, college-age crowd without limiting herself to them.
The emotional shock has worn off and Stadtmueller, who had intentions of becoming a drama teacher, now realizes the opportunity laid before her. She said she's going to stay with the store for a while; at least until she graduates high school. Her long-term goal extends beyond high school. She said she would like to open a dance studio in the building someday, or maybe bring back the coffee shop.
For now, she's happy.
“I'm ecstatic about having the store,” she said.
David Teller can be reached at [email protected]
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