Walmart fuel station opens

Walmart held a grand opening for its fuel station on Highway 46 last Thursday with a festive ribbon-cutting celebration featuring the Wasco High School cheer team and marching band. Walmart also awarded $500 grants to the Wasco Police Department, Wasco High School and the Wasco Fire Department, along with a $1,000 grant presented to the Lauren Small Children's Center at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.

Gilberto Reyna, council member and former mayor of Wasco, thanked Walmart for bringing this new facility to town. "We are truly grateful for your continued investment in our community. This gas station, strategically located near the highway, has not only created new job opportunities and offered additional options for our residents but also provided a convenient stop for travelers, generating a new revenue stream for our city. It has given us more choices, encouraged competition and lowered gas prices."

Walmart has been rapidly expanding its fuel stations over the last two years, according to Juan Franco, regional fuel operations manager, who oversees all the company's fuel stations in California, Washington and Arizona. With the Wasco opening, Walmart now has 12 sites in California and 408 locations nationwide.

"We've been looking forward to this opening for some time. We are expanding in the Central Valley and are excited to have Wasco as one of our flagship locations to signal growth in that area. A very aggressive target has been set to grow our fuel footprint over the next couple of years, with significant growth planned in California and Arizona. We're also starting to explore sites in Nevada and across the nation," Franco said.

The Wasco fuel station is a walk-in convenience location, unlike many other Walmart fuel centers in California that feature walk-up kiosks with limited merchandise. "In Wasco, we offer our full beverage bar, which includes frozen beverages, fountain sodas, bean-to-cup coffee and a cappuccino machine. We also have a walk-in beer cave [cooler] to provide a wider selection of beers for our customers, and fresh food from the store made daily in our deli and bakery, including donuts, cookies and other pastries."

He said that Walmart strives to save people money so they can live better, emphasizing that they do not distinguish between cash and credit payments. Walmart also offers a Walmart+ membership, allowing customers to save on gas.

Wasco resident Armando Chavez is happy about the cost savings. "Gas prices here are much cheaper, and the snacks are convenient, too. Everyone comes to Walmart, so being able to pump gas while you're already here is a big advantage. The price difference is significant, about 30 to 40 cents per gallon. As a Walmart+ member, I get an additional discount, which makes it even better. It's definitely a positive benefit for Wasco."