BOISE, Idaho — After three decades without a gas station between Boise and Idaho City, the Hilltop Station has finally installed gas pumps, ending a long-standing concern for travelers along Highway 21.
"We've been able to pivot and make it work and survive," said Tate McCullough, who, along with his brother Eric, has owned the historic Hilltop Café for over 10 years.
Hear the brothers speak about the journey it took to open the new fuel pumps:
The journey hasn't been easy for the McCullough brothers, who have weathered numerous challenges since taking over the beloved local landmark.
"I always joke I was going to create a mini golf course back here where every hole is after a financial disaster each year — 'Oh no, it's 2017, it's the fire hazard, everything's on fire, and the Covid hole, don't catch Covid'," McCullough said.
After years of negotiating, testing, and securing approvals, the Hilltop Station now offers a service that residents and travelers have needed for years.
"My brother and I were having a conversation we need to get a photograph of us getting the first tank of gas while we are having out conversation three people filled up," Tate McCullough said.
The improvements don't stop at the pumps. A new turning lane on Highway 21 makes it easier and safer for drivers to stop in for fuel, grab snacks, or simply visit this community gathering spot.
"Absolutely we have had more friends that were made here just from happenstance and being here that are still lifelong friends we have had people who met here and ended up getting married here," McCullough said when asked if the station serves as a neighborhood gathering spot.
Longtime neighbor Bud Jones praised the brothers' determination.
"See this it. As Idahoans we're different people we have tenacity," Jones said.
