Eagle Feather Trading Post II opened in western Kings County last week, the first out-of-area business venture of the Tule River Tribal Council.
According to one tribal council member, the gas station/mini market could be the first of several new business ventures the tribe undertakes to increase is financial footing.
“We need that to expand business because we can’t always count on the casino,” said Tribal Member Kevin Bonds.
He said the tribe got a good deal on the purchase, remodeled it and held a soft opening last week.
The station is located in western Kings County where the heavily traveled Highway 41 intersects with Highway 33. It is called Reef Station.
Highway 41 is the main road taken from the northern end of the Central Valley to the Central Coast. It is about 7 miles west of Kettleman City and 9 miles east of where Highways 41 and 46 merge.
The station is fairly new, but it had been closed for a while, said Check Kinney, deputy director of Planning for Kings County. The tribe began work on refurbishing the site in December.
Bonds said jobs were offered to reservation residents, but the distance was too far so local residents were hired to operate the station.
It is patterned after the Eagle Feather Trading Post on Highway 190 near Success Lake, offering low cost cigarettes and fuel.
Bonds said they are hopeful it will be successful for the tribe, saying it appeared it was not being properly managed and that is why it closed.
“I think it’s going to do pretty well,” he said.
Bonds said the tribe is looking for other business ventures, but doesn’t have anything in the works right now.