Since the Casinos are allowed to open the self service buffets again as of June 1st, have you heard of any that will be opening by then or maybe before???
Since the Casinos are allowed to open the self service buffets again as of June 1st, have you heard of any that will be opening by then or maybe before???
No chance that any of them will open before then, since that would be illegal. After June 1, I expect a few to open but not very many. With the possible exception of the really high-end ones, the casinos never made very much money on buffets. Since they're going into full-speed-ahead gouge mode for this summer and beyond, I don't expect them to bring back what is essentially a loss leader when the lemmings are going to come flooding back in no matter what.
For the next several months, Vegas will be one gigantic ripoff, until all the pent-up demand dies down. Best to make your vacation plans elsewhere, unless you like fighting huge crowds and paying through the nose for absolutely everything.
Originally posted by: vegasdawn
Since the Casinos are allowed to open the self service buffets again as of June 1st, have you heard of any that will be opening by then or maybe before???
I'm sure that someone on the LVA staff will answer your question, but it was confirmed last week that the state of Nevada is turning over control of most of the restrictions to the counties as of May 1st not June 1st. A committee will be presenting a plan to the Clark County Commission tomorrow. The plan includes reopening self-service buffets May1st. This article has more information: https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/clark-county/clark-county-can-absolutely-meet-100-capacity-goal-by-june-1-2329101/
Yes, but reopening with mandatory social distancing and capacity restrictions. 100 people in a casino buffet is still not that many. So as far as going back to the "Vegas buffet experience"--naah, not yet.
They're fools if they reopen full blast on May 1st, but pretending the pandemic has gone away seems to be a theme in corporate Vegas right now. The casinos want their pigeons back.
June 1st is the Tuesday after Memorial Day May 31, a historically big holiday weekend for Vegas, right?
May 1 is a Saturday, also a historically bad day (weekend) to make a big change.
July 1st would be worse, approaching the July 4th weekend.
Doesn't matter to me, but isn't it better to do change like that mid week, and not right next to a holiday? Get the kinks out before the massive human surge?
Oh, well, good thing I didn't go into hotel management, 'cause I'm probably dead wrong.
Candy
Originally posted by: O2bnVegas
June 1st is the Tuesday after Memorial Day May 31, a historically big holiday weekend for Vegas, right?
May 1 is a Saturday, also a historically bad day (weekend) to make a big change.
July 1st would be worse, approaching the July 4th weekend.
Doesn't matter to me, but isn't it better to do change like that mid week, and not right next to a holiday? Get the kinks out before the massive human surge?
Oh, well, good thing I didn't go into hotel management, 'cause I'm probably dead wrong.
Candy
Candy, as far as exact timing is concerned, the casinos would have to wait until the county whoever announced the new guidelines, and that wouldn't happen until exactly on the 1st or maybe even later. So there would be a few days' lag time---they wouldn't, for example, want to go through the hassle and expense of setting up and getting ready to open a buffet only to find out that because of spiking case numbers or attacks by Jewish space lasers, or something, the lifting of restrictions was paused.
They could assume that the authorities (who, in Vegas at least, are actually the casinos) will give the green light and be ready to BOOFAY on the 1st, but that would be a bit of a gamble, and if there's one truism, it's that the casinos don't gamble.
I think much of it will depend on occupancy levels of the hotels. The convention business is still going to be MIA for most (maybe all) of 2021. I suspect most buffets won't open until their respective hotels feel confident the clientele will be there to eat at them. I would think the local hotels might open their's first. Just a guess.
It's always been a big thing for locals to haul the family down to a local casino for the buffet, then deposit the kids at the movie theater or arcade while Mom and Dad go play the slots. The kids love it (especially if they're really good at guilting their parents out of lots of spending money), and the parents get to have some "adult" fun. Everybody's happy, plus, the herd gets fed for $10 a head or less. Cheap!
That's why I can't believe that Boulder Station has killed their buffet for good. That place was always busy, and often jammed. I think I agree with you--all the hype aside, a locals' casino buffet is much more integral to the experience than a Strip casino buffet. In Vegas, a locals' casino buffet is kind of like the neighborhood Chuck E. Cheese.
This is a good discussion covering several possibilities. The reality is, no one knows yet what's gonna happen with self-serve buffets. More and more, perception is becoming a key consideration. The casinos are terrified that they'll do something that is perceived to be unsafe, whether it is or not. That will keep many who might want to reopen their buffets on the sidelines longer. Then there's the fact that some just don't want to do buffets anymore and will use this opportunity to eradicate them. In the local sector, for example, there's a very good possibility that buffets won't return at Stations, but I'd expect buffets to return at Boyd, Arizona Charlie's/STRAT, M, and Silverton.
But they've had over a year to plan this out and the only one being changed that I've heard is Boulder Station. Maybe Stations will open the rest.
