LUKACHUKAI, Ariz.— Marlene Tom, the general manager for the Lukachukai Speedway, has returned home thanks to the reopening of the local gas and convenience store.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren signed the business-site lease for the store in 2024 to initiate its reconstruction following a fire that destroyed the previous store and gas station in February 2023. The store had been closed for over two years after the store caught fire and finally reopened in June.
A formal grand re-opening and ribbon cutting celebration was held with community members and Navajo officials on July 11. The $1.5 million was the total cost of the store’s reconstruction as well as pumps and new system.
“This is my home store and after the fire and this place burned down, my staff and I went to nearby stores,” said Tom. “Coming back to an actual store is great but I missed the people we saw every day – the bus drivers, the community. I’m happy to be home again.”
The store generally services about 800 to 900 customers a day.
Crystlynn Lansing serves as an area leader managing eight of the 14 7/11 and Speedway stores across the Navajo Nation. These stores are crucial for residents, providing not just snacks but also gas and medicines. The store, in partnership with Blue Mountain Meat Company, offers high-quality local meats and fresh produce, critical in a region where the nearest full-grocery store is over an hour away.
Located along scenic Navajo Route 12, the store not only supports eight local jobs but also plans to expand with fishing supplies, a fryer for local favorites, and bulk propane to better serve the community’s needs.
President Nygren celebrated the store’s re-opening as it was just more than gas station and convenience store – it is a one stop shop for necessities near home.
“I met with families from here and I heard their struggles about access to something as simple as sandwich meat,” said President Nygren. “It was also shocking to hear about how families needed medicine and went without it because they couldn’t make it that far. This store is providing security and comfort and much needed assistance to the local community.”
