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What do you think the future of Vegas resort dining be?

Discussion in 'Restaurants & Buffets' started by Boogaloo, May 16, 2020.

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  1. Boogaloo

    Boogaloo Low-Roller

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    I think that we all agree that social distancing and other limitations are likely to be with us for at least a year or so to some regard (and probably longer). We've talked about what this future means in practice in other threads, so I wanted to ask everyone's opinion on what you think set up will be in regards to feeding guests in the big Vegas Strip Resorts.

    I've got a few bullet-pointed ideas, but I definitely want to see other people's as well!

    - More room service with more options. This is a no-brainer since the meal can be left outside without any personal contact. I suspect more resorts will have the option that previously existed mainly to high rollers, where you can essentially order a meal from any restaurant on the property, even the fancier ones.

    - More take-away meals. I don't think all restaurants will do this, but I wouldn't be surprised if many of the food courts that exist within resorts these days closed down the communal dining area (at least in the short term) and just had your take your meal and eat it in your room.

    - More reservations. This is mainly to manage crowds, since restaurants will be at limited capacity, so I suspect many will highly recommend or require reservations during popular hours, even though that wasn't necessary in the past.

    - Buffets, but different. Some have predicted the death of the buffet, but I really don't think you can beat the American desire for 'all you can eat' this easily. What I definitely think is that there will be much more emphasis on pre-prepared small dishes or carving stations - and I wouldn't even be surprised if there weren't even serving tables and the food came around the room 'butler style' and the 'carving station' would work like the servers at Brazilian steakhouses, bringing the meat to you. I've always liked the 'Border Brunch' at the Border Grill in Mandalay Bay, where you get a menu of twenty-some small plates that you can order unlimited quantities of (in addition to getting a bowl of fresh tortillas, salsas and a tamale when you sit down), another thing I think we'll see more of to replace traditional buffets.

    - More mobile integration. You'll make reservations, take away orders, and possibly even the orders in the restaurants themselves through an app. I don't know about CET, but MLife's is quite bad, so I hope this causes them to shape up and really put some effort into it. I for one would find this quite cool, since you could even link each visit to a restaurant automatically and charge it to your room.

    There's also a question that I don't have the answer to that I'd like your thoughts on: How do you think the resorts will feed all those people if the can operate at full capacity of rooms but restaurants can't. For example, the MGM Grand has almost 7,000 rooms, but if you can't have a traditional buffet and the other restaurants are only allowing 50% of the usual capacity in - how are you going to get three meals for all those people?

    Yes, I know that people can go elsewhere, but most I suspect want to at least stay on The Strip during their vacation, and options will be limited if every resort has the same problem. Hey, me personally I'm at least somewhat drunk during much of my trip so I can't drive, and I wouldn't want to have to take an Uber somewhere else in Vegas for every meal.
     
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  2. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    I'm all for more discussion here, but please recognize that we're trying to limit speculation and people talking in absolutes. Nobody knows what is happening next week, yet alone further in the future for anywhere, let alone Las Vegas.

    I have changed the title to "What do you think the future" to allow for sharing of opinions.

    If you read the casino reopening plans that have been submitted and the articles I post about plans for restaurants, you'll see that a number of them are prepared to offer preboxed prepared meals to go. Restaurants will require reservations and some properties are including QR codes you can scan to get menus and order food to go.

    I would expect that many properties will be limiting occupancy as the Governor loosens standards. The CEO of MGM Resorts said in an article yesterday they are projecting having 1200 of the 4000 rooms at Bellagio open and limiting casino occupancy to 25-30% to allow for distancing.

    We have no idea what the actual demand is for casinos at this time. Some surveys I've seen on social media are less than 30% of even Vegas locals anxious to return to the casinos. MGM and CET aren't going to open all their properties for some time. Bellagio and MGM Grand for MGM Resorts. CET is probably Caesars and one other lower tiered property. I've seen Flamingo, Bally's and Harrah's tossed around as possibilities, but I don't think CET has decided yet.

    Imagine a strip.... from the north.... Wynn/Encore (or just Wynn) open. Then TI, V/P, one of the CET lower properties, Bellagio, Cosmo, NYNY and Tropicana. If all of those properties are at less than 50% capacity, how many people is that maximum? Math.. ugh. Limited restaurants, room service and prepared take away food available should be able to accommodate in the short term.

    Anything longer term is speculation beyond what any mere mortal is capable of predicting. :)
     
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  3. redfury

    redfury Low-Roller

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    Well I appreciate a curious continually thinking mind, I don’t put much thought into what may be (in regards to this topic) I know what I like and I will continue to frequent places that offer my interest
     
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  4. sybgal

    sybgal VIP Whale

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    I enjoy reading what other LV visitors opinions might be.....gives me something to think about..
     
  5. Marky147

    Marky147 VIP Whale

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    As far as my eating habits there. I'm going to carry on as before, or as close to I have done.

    I'm not even thinking about what's going to happen, I'll just take getting back there and being able to pick :)
     
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  6. dankyone

    dankyone VIP Whale

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    I’m thinking ahead to booking rooms I know have a dining table and doing more room service. I would imagine properties will also set up grab and go options that didn’t exist before the pandemic. “Bag lunch available in the Circus Maximus ballroom, only $17.95 from 11-3!”
     
  7. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    I can't see Vegas dining being any different long term than any place else. If the bug is what's on peoples' minds it doesn't recognize jurisdictional boundaries.
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2020
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  8. Farner

    Farner High-Roller

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    I am eager to see the changing Vegas, too. Some changes maybe good: keyless room entry, remote checkin, room service from resort restaurants and many other things to come. There are just so many things we don’t know. Especially unknown is who the customers are who are coming back and when. I was in Vegas in early March and struck how difficult it was for me to imagine travel under the new circumstances. We all just have so much time, what else is there to do than speculate...
     
  9. queuetee

    queuetee VIP Whale

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    Dh and I always eat at well regarded restaurants in LV and a huge part of the joy ( and price) is the ambiance of the restaurant. I would NOT want to pay restaurant prices to eat in my room via room service....so we certainly will wait to see how this all works itself out before we book a trip.
     
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  10. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    People have to eat, and where there is a demand there will be a supply.

    I'm not exactly thrilled about the idea of doing take-out in Las Vegas.

    The casinos are gonna have to feed their guests. I might envision some of the buffets being converted into sit-down places, with tables widely spaced, as many buffets do take up a lot of floor space.

    If there are lines and waits for casino restaurants, I foresee the non-casino restaurants in the area absorbing more of the demand than they ever have.
     
  11. Hard6n8

    Hard6n8 MIA

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    It will be delicious!
     
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  12. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

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    I can see more take out services and in-room services being streamlined for higher demand.

    I think it would be funny in an ironic way if all establishments are on a reservation basis. Because there will be less tables due to distancing, I envision a placard on the table saying "Please minimize conversations and focus on eating your food so we can accommodate the next guest(s). You have 10 minutes. Thank you."
     
  13. Marky147

    Marky147 VIP Whale

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    Same as yourselves, I always spend more money on food than anything else, and won't be paying to get takeaway from SW, CUT.

    Casino & CWs would get the money, so not all bad. I'll definitely gamble more if I'm only eating at Panda Express and Pok Pok Wing :D
     
  14. Crawfordesquire

    Crawfordesquire High-Roller

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    agreed. to go is inherently dumbed down. can you do an IRD (in room dining) steak? sure. but it's just not the same and should cost less overall. and steak and other fine dining is built on over indulging and i think this is much less likely to occur unless it's traditional/in the restaurant.

    culinary union in vegas is pretty powerful and they will be heard in all of this.
     
  15. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to say that in the near future, we will have fewer options than we had in The Before Time. Plenty of places won’t survive the shut down and plenty more won’t be able to operate long at 25% occupancy combined with increasing operating costs. Eventually, as others have mentioned, things won’t be much different than they were in February. But, I’ll be anxiously following to see which of my favorites survive this (hopefully) transitory period.

    I am curious to see how room service will change. The trend of late has been to reduce menu options/hours/quality. But, I assume with fewer restaurants open and people being somewhat hesitant (maybe) to eat in a restaurant, that the resorts will put a little more focus on this part of their dining programs.
     
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  16. Marky147

    Marky147 VIP Whale

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    I only normally get drunk/hungover breakfast for roomservice in Vegas, but the overpricing is offset by the convenience.

    I definitely won't be doing dinner/lunch room service, unless I'm at cosmo, and that will likely be Block16 or China Poblano to sit on the balcony eating.

    Just going to be a case of less covers per night, and gradually phasing that out over time, imo. No idea of any timescales/plans for that. Just what makes the most sense. Open at what they can, then add tables in as time passes.
     
  17. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    Agreed completely. The issues currently facing Strip restaurants are a little different than standalone restaurants due to the separate issue of casino floor restrictions, as well as the fact that many locals profess to avoid the Strip, but otherwise, I think the capacity and distancing requirements are the same in Las Vegas, NV as they are in Las Vegas, NM. And some places are already set up for that; I don't think I've ever seen Picasso more than half-full (which they do intentionally to avoid it getting crowded), and quite a few casino restaurants are accessible without passing through the casino (Bellagio, again, is pretty well-positioned for this, since many of their restaurants are either in the conservatory area and accessible from the main valet without passing through the casino, or in the Via Bellagio area from the North Valet).

    For what it's worth, the non-casino reopening is proceeding apace. At Crystals, Mastro's has been open for takeout all along, and Cucina is open as of this week. Plus, if Crystals opens, then that bodes well for the second/third-floor spaces at Cosmo, along with the Aria restaurants by the Crystals entrance. I was also down at Fremont East last night, and many of the bars and restaurants weren't open at full capacity, but were doing sidewalk and outdoor service. Nobody I spoke to wasn't a fellow local, which is entirely unsurprising, but it's all about baby steps.
    I think this is definitely true. It's unlikely to be the same full-service room service experience, in that food will be left outside without being wheeled in on the fancy cart, but even without it formally being "room service", I would constantly do take-out from Aria. There are absolutely people who want the full restaurant experience, but there are also people who just want the food, and an extra couple minutes of travel time doesn't impact all cuisine types, plus allows additional patron revenue without impacting the social distancing issue.
     
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  18. Mider999

    Mider999 Low-Roller

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    I’m hoping things go back to normal but that certain standards remain, those standards being cleaner tables and restrooms

    other then that I never had an issue dining in Vegas
     
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  19. CaptCampion

    CaptCampion VIP Whale

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    I don't usually stop drinking to eat. That is, until about 4am when I can just go in the all-nite diner and get a $4 hamburger and call it good.
     
  20. Drewm1972

    Drewm1972 VIP Whale

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    One of the biggest reason Wifey and I goto Vegas Is fine dining (which is really big deal for us) we gonna see how this fine dining works out in Vegas. I agree with you @Boogaloo regards to “more reservation” this probably would work out the best and room dining ( but since wifey and I experiencing the Resturant well as food room service would not work out for us.) hopefully they figure it out!
     
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