NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's more than just the food — it's a celebration of culture and pride for the Latino community as the new Ojos Locos Cantina and Casino opens its doors.
Ojos Locos was inspired by their popular Texas locations but this is the only one with a casino, and it's located in North Las Vegas at Cheyenne and Civic Center.
It is replacing the former Lucky Club Hotel and Casino. The CEO of 5th Street Gaming, Seth Schorr, says this has been a longtime coming for the Latino community.
He told KTNV, "It's way overdue. The Latino population has been very important, but sadly underserved and an ignored demographic in our community, and I think I recognized that a long time ago."
Schorr says bringing a business like Ojos to Southern Nevada was 15 years in the making. Now that it's here, Ojos is ready to put on a show for locals.
From sports to dining to gaming, and even a newly rebranded hotel, Schorr says Ojos was meant to be a home away from home for both locals and visitors.
Laura Caudillo, the Vice President of Marketing at Ojos, told KTNV, "This is really built for the blue-collar. They can come in and feel like this is their house. We built this specifically to make them feel at home."
Caudillo says even the food brings a sense of home for Latinos, with classic dishes made with pride and from scratch, such as fajitas and Mexico City tacos.
Beyond the food, Caudillo also says Ojos Locos brings even more to our community.
"We want to give opportunities for jobs," she says. "We want to make sure that in this area that there is something brand new. In hopes that the rest of the area will liven up as well."
So far, this is the only Ojos Locos in Nevada, but Schorr and Caudillo say they hope more will find their way to the valley soon.
