Bigfoot Books & Brews in Marion, N.C., is expanding with the help of a successful crowdfunding campaign, the McDowell News reported.
The bookstore and coffee shop, which is located at 124 E. Court St., will expand into an adjacent space at 122 E. Court St., gaining roughly 400 square feet. Co-owners and father-daughter team Olyvia and Stephen Knight will make use of the additional space by increasing the selection of used books, creating a larger children's book section, and adding vinyl records. It will also give them more room for events, and rather than shut down parts of the business during events, Bigfoot Books & Brews will be able to host events, sell coffee, and have patrons browsing for books all at the same time.
The Knights opened Bigfoot Books & Brews in August 2025, with the help of a Kickstarter campaign that raised $6,131. It sells new and used books along with coffee, tea, bottled beer, and wine, as well as used DVDs and Blu-rays.
They were not expecting to expand the business in less than a year, but the storefront next door became available and they had already felt a desire for more space. To help with the expansion, the Knights launched a second Kickstarter campaign in late April. It was fully funded in just 48 hours and went on to raise $4,154, more than double the original goal of $2,000.
"We didn't think it would be possible to expand in our first year of operation, but with the support of the amazing Marion and wider McDowell County community, it's become possible," Olyvia Knight told the McDowell News. "We're so grateful to everyone for all the love and support!"
Bigfoot Books & Brews will host a ribbon cutting for the expansion on July 22. "We want to invite everyone in the community to celebrate this milestone with us," said Stephen Knight. "We’re not only excited for folks to see the new space--including a larger selection of used books and now vinyl records, also--but the expansion means a redesign of our existing space. So we’re excited for people to get to see that for the first time, too!"