No restaurant can succeed indefinitely without periodic “freshening” of the design and decor; experts suggest that casino restaurants, in particular, require some kind of renovation-from a cosmetic sprucing-up to a complete overhaul-every six to eight years.
But renovating can be as time-consuming and costly as building from the ground up-and there are additional challenges.
“Renovations usually involve the infrastructure,” says Scott Walls, president of Bergman, Walls & Associates, a full-service architectural firm for casino resorts. “Do you have enough power for all the new lighting you’re planning to add? If you want to add a cooking surface in the kitchen, do you have the ability to add another exhaust? You look at the electrical, the mechanical, the air conditioning, and evaluate it against the new format.”
“The electrical and plumbing can be very expensive,” says Jason Lapin, vice president of Blau and Associates, a strategic restaurant planning and development company. “When you renovate your house, the hardest thing to do is your bathroom because of the plumbing. It’s the same thing when you’re moving a bar.
“On the flip side, you better make sure the infrastructure is there,” Lapin says. “A common mistake is to redo the restaurant but not enhance the kitchen. The new concept draws additional business that the old, small kitchen cannot handle-and that’s a recipe for failure.”
The physical space is another challenge. It’s essential to change the floor plan so customers don’t recall the old restaurant, says Walls.
“When we brought Rao’s into Caesars, the management wanted to recreate the feeling of this cozy New York restaurant. But the ceilings were vaulted-that’s not cozy. So we had to bring them down. We used canopies, some lowered ceilings, and a large millwork piece over the bar. We achieved the look of the New York space. But sometimes we can take something like that and give it a Vegas spin, too.”
Bally’s Atlantic City is putting the finishing touches on three renovations “to provide a fresh new look and dining experience,” says Joe Domenico, senior vice president and general manager.
The traditional coffee shop is being replaced by 6ix, a bistro. “The new design is very contemporary. It looks like a gourmet room. The food centers around a theme of freshness-fresh food, fresh flavor.”
Formerly Mr. Ming’s, the Red Pearl is an upscale Asian fusion restaurant. “We had a quick-turnaround Asian restaurant on the casino floor, but this provides a more leisurely dining experience,” says Domenico.
Finally, the Prime Place has been transformed into the Reserve. “The rooms were enclosed and we really opened them up, with a new bar, Preview, to set the stage for the dining experience,” Domenico says.
Case in point that restaurant renovation is a must to attract new customers while retaining loyal patrons.
