EZ Stop owner announces spring opening for expanded facility

By Garney Damele

Nearly three years following the fire that destroyed the EZ Stop, owner Shawn Bansal intends to relaunch the business with an expanded and enhanced operation.

Bansal announced that his new 3,300-square foot facility is scheduled to open in the spring and will provide an extensive selection of food and grocery items. The establishment will feature 24-hour service and a convenient drive-thru window.

“I’m currently waiting for approval of required permits from the state,” he said. “But realistically I’m thinking March as an opening.”

Plans include a hot buffet featuring Indian and Chinese foot, a deli serving hot and cold sandwiches, smoothies and a beer cave. The newly installed 600-square foot refrigeration space will also offer dairy, produce, meat and eggs. 

The EZ Stop’s fuel stations have been in operation for several months now.

Bansal has invested nearly half a million into the new structure, he noted. The EZ Stop sustained extensive damage from a fire on April 20, 2023. 

“People have a connection with the EZ Stop,” Bansal said. “It feels great when older people who have roots in Eureka talk (about the business). I don’t want to take that connection away.”

Bansal, who also owns The Phoenix located next to his Urban Cowboy Bar & Grill, intends to transfer the liquor from the Phoenix to the new EZ Stop site. He will introduce gambling and slot machines at this market as part of his restaurant’s expansion, replacing the existing inventory.

Additional plans for the new EZ Stop also include a laundromat, a public restroom with a shower, a propane filling station and an RV waste station.

“I’m hoping for a one-stop station for RVs,” he said. “These are things that (I think) would be helpful to the community.”