ST. LOUIS — Big Muddy Adventures, a St. Louis-based canoe and kayak outfitter and river tour business, plans to open its first retail store next month in the Central West End.
The store will open Sept. 16 in a 1,200-square-foot former Sinclair gas station at 4662 Washington Blvd. Big Muddy Adventures' owner and General Manager Roo Yawitz said the business is renting the space from owner Bowood Farms, the garden center nearby at 4605 Olive St.
Yawitz told the Business Journal he wasn't yet able to provide a cost for the build out of the space. He said some of Big Muddy Adventures' existing staff will work at the shop and a new full-time employee was hired to manage the retail operation.
Inventory at the retail store, also to be called Big Muddy Adventures, will include boats, gadgets and accessories, and will be "aimed at inspiring people to get outside and explore the Great Middle West," according to a Tuesday press release. The mix will heavily focus on water activities but also include apparel and camping gear.
"We look forward to finding some smaller brands around the country that are not currently available in St. Louis and curating a nice selection of fun stuff," Alex Kuntzman, shop manager, said in a statement about the retail store's offerings.
It will be the only U.S. dealer for Canadian boat builder Clipper Canoes, whose voyageur-style canoes are used by Big Muddy Adventures on many of its river trips, officials said. The store is expected to get its first canoe order in early 2022.
The retail store will hold a lounge area with a library of books and maps as well as space for meetings and events outside.
“Since our inception, we’ve been focused on getting people on the river, which has made us somewhat nomadic. We meet customers at a variety of riverside locations around St. Louis, load into our boats and set off on our paddling trips," Yawitz said in a statement. "Over the past few years we’ve realized that we want more of a base camp; a place to engage with our clients when we’re not on the water."
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