Over the past few months, casinos in Atlantic City have been struggling to earn revenues due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Casinos have been shut down and reopened, only to operate at a much lower capacity than normal. With a lower tourist rate, the casinos are having a hard time trying to bring in revenues. For one casino, the addition of a new steakhouse and gaming this year will hopefully help to bring in new revenues. Resorts Casino has announced big plans for the future, starting with a new dining venue.
Dougherty’s Steakhouse
Earlier this week, Resorts AC announce that in the spring, a Dougherty’s Steakhouse and Raw Bar will be opening at the property. The new venue will be located in the former Steakhouse and Burger Bar of the Gallagher brand. Both of these restaurants closed at the beginning of 2021.
In a Twitter post as well as information on the Resorts website, the brand detailed that they have now partnered with the Dougherty family to bring a new dining experience to the venue. The family is known in Atlantic City for its restaurant dining and will be a welcome sight for locals as well as tourists to Resorts.
In speaking with PlayNJ, CEO and president of Resorts, Mark Giannantonio, commented that the new partnership will help to build on the existing portfolio of world-class restaurants of the property. Details of how the restaurant will be laid out as well as what it will offer will be provided in the future.
Continued Investments
After taking over the casino in 2010, the operator of the venue has invested over $150 million to create something fantastic in Atlantic City. Projects have included a room renovation of the hotel as well as the Landshark Bar and Grill as well as Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville additions.
The conference enter of the property was expanded as well as the DraftKings Sportsbook created. There is even more in the works as the casino plans to add more games in the future. A new electronic table game is going to be offered at the casino near Memorial Day. It is unclear as to what the game will be, but Giannantonio says it will be convenient and a benefit to players.
But will all of these changes work and be beneficial to the casino? It is unclear as to how long we will have to continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Will the virus continue to be a hindrance to operators like Resorts? Will players be less likely to visit as the threat of the virus remains?
We can only wait and see how the world will react as we start this New Year. Some people are starting to be more cautious as they see friends and family affected by the virus. However, for others, the virus has played out for too long and fatigue has set in. Those who feel this way are still getting out and about and could help the casino see revenues once again as people start to come back to the venues.
We shall see in the coming months how the restaurant addition and the new games will help Resorts to bring in more revenues as COVID-19 continues.