LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A couple of hours after the doors opened at Las Vegas' newest casino — the Durango — a long line developed outside the Ai Pono Cafe inside the resort's "Eat Your Heart Out" food hall.
The Hawaiian-themed eatery is Gene Villiatora's first foray into the Las Vegas restaurant scene. The eccentric chef says the opening defied his expectations.
"I'm very excited to be back in Las Vegas, where I lived for 25 years," Villiatora says. "It's great to be back working with the best company, Station Casinos."
Before moving to California to open his first restaurant, Villiatora was a personal chef for the Fertitta family, the folks behind the Station Casinos brand.
Billionaires Frank Fertitta III and his brother, Lorenzo Fertitta, have carried on their father's legacy with the Station company.
Frank Fertitta Jr. opened what would later become Palace Station in 1976, marking the beginning of what would grow into a casinos juggernaut in the Las Vegas Valley.
The Durango, located near Durango Drive and the 215 Beltway in Southwest Las Vegas, offers customers plenty of natural light, something not often seen at most casinos.
Corrina Church, who came with a friend to see the opening of the new casino, noted the difference. "It's kind of like feeling like you're outside and I really like that feel," Church said.
Gloria Winston even came all the way from Atlanta on Tuesday, just to be a part of the resort's grand opening.
She waited in line with a friend before the casino opened its doors just after 9 a.m. on Tuesday. "It's an awesome occasion," she said. "I'm going straight to the slots when we get inside."
If Tuesday was any indication, Durango is likely to be a success. The casino floor was packed all day into the evening.
It's likely that Durango won't be the last new casino that Station builds. Red Rock Resorts President Scott Kreeger might have summed it up best during Tuesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"We're excited to usher in the next era of Station Casinos resorts," Kreeger said.
(Editor's note: Red Rock Resorts is the parent company of Station Casinos).
