It was bound to happen.

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From the moment Jeffree Star announced his intentions to move to Casper, Wyoming, it was only a matter of time before he began to showcase his 'brand' in the Oil City. It started with yaks.

Jeffree Star started a yak farm on his ranch near Hat Six Road, keeping some as pets and using others as meat. He then began selling yak meat to various restaurants and shops in Casper, such as Firerock Steakhouse, Tacos Mexico, Grant Street Grocery and more.

Photo Credit: Jake Bigelow Media
Photo Credit: Jake Bigelow Media
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Star would then hold various 'pop-ups' at different locations throughout town but, in his mind, that wasn't good enough.

"It's funny, because when I first moved here, I didn't plan on yak-ing (yes, that's a thing), didn't plan on living here full time," Jeffree Star told K2 Radio News. "And then I really fell in love with Wyoming. So as I settled into this town and the first year-plus went by, we were really like, 'You know what? We wanna do a retail spot.'"

So, that's what Star and his team have decided to do.

"We've been doing these popups at our shipping fulfillment center in Evansville and it's not glamorous," Star said. "It looks like you're going into Saw V. It's just very basic. It's a warehouse with coolers. There's nothing glamorous about it and it's not the Jeffree Star Brand."

Star needed something that encompassed his brand. Of course, aside from being one of the highest-paid YouTube stars, Star has continued to build his name off of makeup. And he wanted a place where he could sell it all to consumers. But he wanted to include his other work, as well.

"Long story short, we decided that we wanted to grow this yak thing, and how cool would it be to have an actual makeup store in Casper?" Star offered. "We know that there's Ulta, and it's great and has all sorts of brands; friends of mine, competitors, etc. But there's nowhere to get really fun, crazy, bright makeup. I also sell neutral makeup of course, and we have a whole skincare line that is doing famously. So I thought, 'You know what? Why don't we try to combine all these elements and do the 'Jeffree Star Store.'"

So, Star got to work. He's been paying attention. Star has lived in Casper for two years now, and in those two years, he's been taking notes. He's been seeing what works and what doesn't. He's been seeing where the future of Casper lies and, in his mind and in the minds of countless others, it lies in downtown.

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"We started looking," he said. "We had a few places in mind and we were searching for months. [The Hall on Ash] was not for sale at first, but a few people, including Liz [Becher] were like 'Hey, maybe you should reach out about the Hall on Ash.'"

That's exactly what Star and his team did. They met with Liz Becher, the Community Development Director for the Old Yellowstone District, and she introduced Star to the right people, made the right connections and, most importantly, she shared the vision that Star wants to bring to Downtown Casper.

Photo Credit: Jake Bigelow Media
Photo Credit: Jake Bigelow Media
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"I had the good fortune of meeting Jeffree through his banking relationships," Becher stated. "He expressed a lot of love for the Old Yellowstone District, and he wanted to have, truly, a retail component down here. So we all started looking at what properties were available and this was one that he would cruise by and look at; he'd look at the fit. And he looked at several [spaces] down here. And then it was just a matter of making introductions. The Old Yellowstone District is truly a neighborhood, and everybody was watching and checking out and seeing who's cruising around. There's been a lot of support."

The support includes that of John Huff who, after closing down Yellowstone Garage Bar & Grill and The Hall on Ash, ended up selling the space to Jeffree Star, and wishing him all the luck in the world.

"What perfect timing," Becher stated. "With John deciding to sell The Hall on Ash, it's just great timing. And John's excited about the opportunity too. You're bringing in a younger audience demographic into the Old Yellowstone District and I look forward to seeing what he creates. He has got so much energy and that's great for Casper and it's great for downtown!"

It's great for Star, too.

News broke a few days ago that Yak Daddy LLC had acquired The Hall on Ash, and people immediately began speculating on what purpose the venue could serve. What, exactly, did Jeffree Star have in mind for this hall on Ash Street?

"We viewed it a lot," Star stated. "I love the open space. There's so much you can do with it here. I know a lot of people are like, 'Okay, we think Jeffree bought this building - what's it gonna be?' So, the Old Yellowstone District in Casper will have its first ever retail store of makeup and meat! You will be able to come shop for lip gloss and steaks in one building. It will also be an interactive 'Jeffree World.' So it won't just be a store. You'll be able to come here and See Rolls Royces and McLarens from my car collection, there'll be things from the Jeffree Star Cosmetics photo shoots that people never got to see."

Star said that when he shoots the promotional material for his makeup brand, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, they use "huge set designs" that, once the shoots are over, just sit in a warehouse. Star said that he's going to be bringing those into the venue so people can come and view them, take pictures next to them, etc.

"It's going to be an interactive retail space and it's just going to be amazing," Star beamed. "You'll be able to buy Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Jeffree Star skin products, and Star Yak Ranch frozen yak meat. And, of course, our jerky and we'll be expanding with merchandise. So there'll be Star Yak Ranch merch, with hoodies and all sorts of other things."

Photo Credit: Jake Bigelow Media
Photo Credit: Jake Bigelow Media
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The introduction of Jeffree Star into Downtown Casper seems like a match made in heaven. Over the last 15 years, Downtown Casper has seen exponential growth. Star's retail shop is just the next evolution of where Downtown Casper has been, and where it's going.

"We drove around everywhere," Star explained. "Most people know that I live on the opposite end of town, off the Hat Six exit, so maybe people thought Second Street would be what we picked. But from living here now for two years, I love this place. Sherry's is my favorite breakfast spot. I love the concerts happening here at David Street Station, and I just love the vibe. But I think there's a lot of room to grow, as well. I love how they're transforming everything. There's gonna be a lot more foot traffic here and they're just transforming the whole area, and I can't wait to be a part of it!"

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