Filling er' up for the past 25 years

SEELEY LAKE – When Kris Martin first visited The Filling Station, she said, "It felt really comfortable. I liked the feeling of being a customer that made me feel good about owning it."

She purchased the business in September 1997 and has owned and operated the now 75-year-old restaurant, bar and casino in the heart of Seeley Lake for the past 25 years.

"It's a good place for people to come and visit," Martin said. "It's the community gathering place."

The community is invited to come and celebrate this milestone anniversary on Sunday, Sept. 11 starting at 3 p.m. in the Beer Garden. There will be food and treats with live music by "Joan Zen" from 4-7 p.m. The restaurant will be closed but the bar and casino will be open.

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Martin spent 12 years of her childhood and young adult life in Germany. Her father Larry Butterworth was in the U.S. Army so they only lived in one place for a few years at a time.

Martin started attending college at the University of Maryland in Germany. She worked as a waitress and then took a job at the American Express International Bank.

In 1988 Martin moved to the United States to attend University of Arizona. After a year, she quit school and moved to Lake Tahoe, Nevada to make enough money so she could ski in the winter.

"I was used to traveling so it was no big deal," Martin said. "I kind of liked the casino business so I stayed."

Martin started in the cage on the banking side of the casino since she already had banking experience. Then she started dealing.

"It was kind of like going back to school again except it was stuff I didn't know I was interested in but I was," Martin said. "I got really good at it – dealing and all the games and learning them."

Martin worked in the casino business in Tahoe for more than four years. Then she worked in the casino business in Florida before following all the new casinos opening in Mississippi. She easily got a job in management.

"Even though I was super young I had more experience than anyone down there did," Martin said and laughed.

After a year she was training dealers at a new casino. She got a job as a pit boss in 1993, where she managed a section of the casino.

"It was kind of a big deal and I was really young for the job, especially being a girl in that position," Martin said. "It was kind of cool."

Martin got married and moved to the Bahamas. Her husband ran a casino and Martin was the pit boss. Although she loved the ocean, she missed the mountains and skiing. While she knew she could not afford a place in Tahoe, she bought a large picture book of the west and started looking for opportunity in Idaho and Montana.

After two years, Martin and her husband traveled the scenic route through the west looking at various business opportunities. While Martin liked Idaho, once they crossed into Montana, she said, "We are not going back."

After arriving in Missoula, they stopped at a real estate office. The agent took them to Seeley Lake to see The Filling Station that was for sale.

The Filling Station first opened in March 1947 by Eddie Coyle. It was first named Coyle's Bar. When Don Larson purchased the bar, he changed the name to The Filling Station. He added the gas station memorabilia and signs that still decorate the interior.

"It was totally by chance that we would meet an agent who happened to be friends with the previous owner and had this place for sale," Martin said.

Martin liked the feel of The Filling Station from her first visit and she loved the area.

"I really wanted to be a part of a community," Martin said. "It really didn't matter what business I owned, I just wanted to be plugged into a town and this seemed like a great town to do it."

They moved to Seeley Lake in June 1997 and were owners of The Filling Station by September. Her goal was simple, to run a successful business. Martin wanted customers to feel comfortable with their children in the restaurant and also be a relevant and happening place to go have fun.

"I liked being able to have the party over there and have our families [in the restaurant]," Martin said. "I've kind of always walked that line."

The first Saturday in March 1998, The Filling Station hosted its first annual Beach Party. Martin's intent was for locals to have the opportunity to get out and shake off cabin fever with a fun, summer-themed event at the end of snowmobile season and before spring arrived. After 20 years of the Beach Party, the party took on different themes but was always held the first Saturday in March and attracted several people from out of the area.

"It's just fun," said Martin. "People are sick of the snow. They can get together and have a good time in shorts and flip flops and pretend it's summer."

The first of many big challenges for the business was Martin's divorce in the mid-2000s. She bought out her ex-husband.

"I'm the one that wanted to keep this place and I'm the one that kept it going," Martin said.

When the recession hit she just about lost the business. Instead of saving her money to survive, in 2009 she applied for a building permit and was approved for renovations.

"I thought let's just spend my last dime on everything. Let's just go for it, roll the dice," Martin said. "I was scared to death once I got it."

After the loan was approved, Martin added 10 feet to the back of the structure, gutted the restaurant, completely remodeled the restrooms and put in a new casino. The Filling Station reopened in February 2010.

"Even being down for that period of time, that is what saved this place during the recession was adding on to the casino and having a nice comfortable place for people to come and play," Martin said.

Martin maintained the old tables and the bar, made out of an old bowling alley, and kept the half-circle booths on the one wall. The collection of antique signs and gas pumps still decorate the interior. She said customers who had not visited in 30-40 years return and notice there has been a change but could not put their finger on it.

"I like that – it is the same but it is different," Martin said.

The Filling Station hosted New Year's Eve Parties, pool league, darts, the annual community Christmas Tree bonfire, karaoke nights and live music. Martin said it became a favorite place to host birthday parties. It has hosted Santa and kept its doors open every day, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"I think it is important," said Martin. "There are people who don't get invited anywhere else for the holidays."

In addition to her divorce and the recession, Martin survived the Jocko Lakes fire of 2007, 2017 Rice Ridge fire and the government shutdown in 2020 and pandemic. While these were her biggest challenges, she said they were also her biggest successes.

"It wasn't an option to fail," Martin said. "You just keep going and you try to figure out some silver lining in each of those things. Every single thing that I've been through, when you come out the end of it you go, 'this was good.' I learned something and I'm stronger."

When asked how the Filling Station has stayed in business all these years, Martin credits her customers, staff and her flexibility and willingness to change.

Martin's partner George Welch has been running The Filling Station with her for more than 10 years.

"We do this together," Martin said. "I couldn't have done it without him and I wouldn't want to do this by myself."

Martin appreciates that her friends and employees Jane Collins and "retired" manager Jeannie Paxton have helped her keep the business running smoothly. Currently, The Filling Station employs 16 people but has had up to 23 on payroll.

"There are a lot of people who have worked here," Martin said. "I've always felt responsible for them in some way, shape or form. It can be overwhelming because it is so many people."

While Martin has enjoyed not getting fired in the last 25 years, she looks forward to someday being a Filling Station customer. The business has been for sale a few different times in the past 25 years and has been on the market since the before the pandemic.

"I want to sit at the bar, have a beer and tell them everything they are doing wrong," Martin said and laughed. "No seriously, my son is 13 and I would love to have more time. I couldn't retire but 24/7 is pretty demanding. I always make time for family, there just isn't a lot of time to get away."

Martin had no idea when she purchased The Filling Station it would turn into a 25-year career and an opportunity to continue Coyle and Larson's tradition for more than 75 years.

"There has been very few opportunities throughout my life that I didn't go, 'I'm going to try that' but with most of them, nothing happened," Martin said. "While I was never that person that longed for that 'one' hometown, it found me and I like it."