to-end experience .”
The goal of the architect ’ s plan , of course , is to provide tribal clients the non-gaming amenities that will provide the highest return on investment . These days , when it comes to non-gaming ROI , the discussion invariably turns to two areas — food and beverage , and , fast becoming a necessity , multi-use entertainment / business venues .
On the F & B side , the general demise of buffets after the Covid-19 crisis opened those large former buffet spaces to new ideas — notably , the food hall . This is an evolution of what first appeared as grab-and-go food courts , with several fast-food restaurants surrounding a cluster of tables . With the food hall , the cuisine choices are of a much higher quality than your typical fast food , and the space is much larger . Guests buy their food and relax in a comfortable dining area .
TBE Architects recently completed a food hall for the Tulalip Tribes ’ Quil Ceda Creek in Washington . “ It was serendipitous ,” recalls Nejelski . “ That was a casino expansion . It had a buffet , but Covid put the kibosh on it before it opened . The F & B team was assembled to rebrand what to do for a food product . It was a smaller property , so rather than doing a food court , which comes across as being low end , the food hall was more of that fast casual where you have a much higher quality food product .”
Nejelski says the food hall model has one great advantage over the buffet — it actually makes money . “ The property buffets are notorious for being loss leaders ,” he says . “ But with the food hall , since you pay for everything that you take on upon exit , it ’ s much more cost-effective and efficient , and you could offer a little bit of a higher-quality food product .
“ You have the flexibility of a wide menu variety , but the casino doesn ’ t suffer the losses of people just loading up their plates ... Everybody wants to strap on the feed bag and just eat as much as they can , which makes for a lot more losses .”
The other hot F & B venue these days is the specialty restaurant and bar , particularly with a sports emphasis . “ A lot of what we ’ re seeing now with sports betting being approved at the properties is that we ’ re doing bars and restaurants that are specific to that ,” says Cuningham ’ s Ewing , “ and it just augments and complements the casino .”
Ewing says the sports bar and restaurant , combined with the wagering element , takes F & B revenues into the casino , where each makes money for the other . “ For the Spokane Tribe , we put in a sportsbook that was parked off the casino , but it had a food-and-beverage element that ’ s a nice lounge space right off the gaming floor . That ’ s been really successful for the tribe .”
Third-party restaurants with noted chefs constitute another profitable F & B outlet these days , Ewing adds , citing a facility Cuningham completed for the Rincon tribe at Harrah ’ s Resort Southern California . “ They had a big , old buffet , and when Covid hit , they closed it down ,” Ewing says . “ It was about 15,000 square feet . That space sat there for a couple of years , and then they made a deal with Gordon Ramsay to bring Hell ’ s Kitchen in . So we took about 11,000 square feet .
“ We didn ’ t even use the whole footprint of the buffet and created the biggest Hell ’ s Kitchen in the U . S . That opened last fall , and it ’ s been very successful .”
Hell ’ s Kitchen by Cuningham Group at Harrah ’ s Resort Southern California
Tulalip Tribes ’ Quil Ceda Creek food hall by TBE Architects
“ Experiential dining has notably gained significant traction at casino resorts , transcending geographical boundaries ,” notes Emily Marshall , principal and interior design director for HBG Design . “ New experiential and immersive F & B designs creatively unfold for the guest . The spaces are shaped through meticulous detail . Every design selection is thoughtfully curated and resonates purposefully , creating a harmonious environment that engages the senses .
“ The experiences I have most enjoyed have been uniquely crafted rooftop patio restaurants adorned with abundant outdoor greenery to seamlessly blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces .”
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