Casino Restaurant Pitfalls

Brendan Bussmann

Casino Restaurant Pitfalls

It is a common sight. Tt is 8:00p.m. on a Thursday night and the casino is busy. Machine occupancy is at 60%; most of the table games are open but the restaurants are nearly empty. The buffet had a short line an hour earlier but the coffee shop is quiet and one of the waiters from the gourmet room is standing in front of the restaurant, rocking on his heels. His dining room is empty.

When this situation becomes evident to senior leadership and they ask for reasons why their restaurants are not busy, there is usually no shortage of finger pointing. The food and beverage director will complain that marketing does not give his restaurants enough advertising support. The casino manager will mention that his customers tell him that the restaurant prices are too high. Other managers who dine in the casino’s coffee shop will say that they see better quality and value at other restaurants in town and the service seems slow. More often than not, the solution is to discount the meals.

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