Coquille Tribe renames its Mill Casino in North Bend to reflect traditional name, values

By SAMANTHA SWINDLER/The Oregonian/OregonLive

The Mill Casino in North Bend is in the middle of an expansion that will add a distillery, tasting room and waterfront restaurant. Now it’s also changing its name.

The Coquille Tribe and the Coquille Economic Development Corporation announced this week that the casino will rebrand as Ko-Kwel Casino Resort. The name is a more traditional spelling of the same pronunciation of the tribe’s name, Coquille.

The name traces its origin to when members of the Coquille Indian Tribe traditionally trapped and ate lamprey, an eel-like fish they called “scoquel.” When white fur traders and settlers came to the southern Oregon coast, they called the people living in the area “Coquille,” spelled like the French word for “shell.”

“It was time for the Coquille Indian Tribe’s long-standing gaming and hospitality brand to clearly represent tribal ownership and the core values that define our leadership and service standards, to be proudly recognized as ‘Coquille,’” Margaret Simpson, chief executive officer of the Coquille Economic Development Corp. stated in a press release. “As we expand our hospitality brand and outreach, we wanted to unify our projects under a single brand that honors our culture and recognizes the achievements of our tribal citizens.”

The Mill Casino originally opened in May 1995, on what was once a former sawmill along the Coos Bay waterfront. Today, the casino, hotel, RV park and concert venue attracts about a million visitors annually, according to the Coquille Tribe.

The casino employs roughly 500 people and will add at least 30 more jobs with its expansion into making craft spirits, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported last year.

Earlier this year, the Coquille Tribe also won approval to open a second casino in Medford, where are renovating a former bowling alley into a roughly 30,000-square-foot casino with 650 gaming machines. Although three other tribes have a pending lawsuit opposing the project, in February a federal judge denied their request for an injunction.

A new Ko-Kwel Casino Resort sign has already been installed on the hotel tower. The saw-shaped sign that greets visitors outside the casino will eventually be replaced.

“The Ko-Kwel Casino Resort in Coos Bay will continue the legacy of the Mill as the economic engine for the region, allowing the tribe’s commitment to expanding our hospitality offerings throughout the Pacific Northwest,” Coquille Tribal chair Brenda Meade stated in the name change announcement. “Coquille has held deep historical significance in this region from time immemorial; it’s time we introduce that significance to the rest of the world through our branding.”

— Samantha Swindler covers features for The Oregonian/OregonLive and can be reached at sswindler@oregonian.com.