The Puyallup Tribe purchases land of these two popular Tacoma restaurants
In a historic move, the Puyallup Tribe has purchased more than two acres of land on Ruston Way in Tacoma. The Tribe announced the acquisition of the land where The Ram Restaurant & Brewery and C.I. Shenanigans restaurant buildings stand Friday, Oct. 1.
“This is a deal that will benefit everyone involved,” the Tribal Council said in a news release. “The Tribe will benefit by diversifying our economic base and generating revenue, and a popular restaurant will stay open.”
Under the purchase terms, the Tribe will lease The Ram back to the previous owner, who plans to continue the operation of the popular restaurant. The Tribe does not have plans to reopen Shenanigans, which closed in 2020 during the pandemic.
As the Tribe evaluates future uses for the land, it announced its intent to put the land into trust within the next several years. This means the title to the property will be acquired and held for the benefit of the Tribe and Tribal members by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
“It’s taking a long time to develop our base and get back into it, but to me, this is a celebration of continuity and culture and moving forward in our lives as Puyallup people,” Puyallup Tribal Council Chairman Bill Sterud said in an interview with McClatchy.
While a major economic development move, the Tribe’s purchase of the property is also part of a long-term re-establishment of its presence on the Tribe’s ancestral homeland. Though the deal has been in the works for several months, Sterud said it’s 120 years in the making.
“That’s part of our ancestral homeland. We always had a thought that it would be nice to be a part of our waterway. This is just a small little way of getting that back,” Sterud said. “It’s one of the most beautiful areas in Tacoma and we would like our name and Tribe represented there in a good way.”
Along with its subsidiaries, the Tribe — which opened the $450 million Emerald Queen Casino location in Tacoma last year — generates over $700 million per year and is Pierce County’s fifth-largest employer.
Rooted in natural resources since time immemorial, the Tribe has expanded its role in the regional economy with projects diversifying economic efforts.
With locations in Tacoma and Fife, the casinos remain the Tribe’s main revenue source. Under a compact with the state, 2% of casino revenue is donated to nonprofits in the region, amounting to millions of dollars per year. Tribal Council regularly makes donations to local groups on top of the casino percentage.
“Economic diversification is huge and we’re excited to jump into the commercial real estate sector,” said Tribal Finance Officer Matt Wadhwani. “We’re responsible for providing for our membership and economic diversification is a step toward ensuring that.”
With the recent additions of cannabis stores and a golf course to its holdings, the Tribe employs a total of 4,300 people.
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Natasha Brennan covers Washington state tribes’ impact on our local communities, environment and politics, as well as traditions, culture and equity issues, for McClatchy media companies in Bellingham, Olympia, Tacoma and Tri-Cities.
She joins us in partnership with Report for America, which pays a portion of reporters’ salaries. You can help support this reporting at bellinghamherald.com/donate. Donations are tax-deductible through Journalism Funding Partners.
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This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 10:59 AM with the headline "The Puyallup Tribe purchases land of these two popular Tacoma restaurants."
