In betting that regional gamblers prefer the best casino to the closest one, Mohegan Sun is putting $10 million on the table.

The buffet table.

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On July 1, the resort casino in Uncasville will unveil the $10 million retrofit of its Seasons Buffet, an ambitious move as the property faces increased competition in the gambling, hospitality and tourism industries.

“This is a big investment by Mohegan Sun, and gives us a big advantage over our competition,” said Richard Zazzaro, Mohegan vice president of food and beverage. “It is a bold move by the Mohegan Tribe to put their trust in us to create a world-class product.”

The $10 million buffet upgrade involved completely removing everything from the previous Seasons Buffet; installing state-of-the-art food preparation and serving equipment; and expanding into an empty restaurant space. Seating will grow to 800, a 33 percent increase.

The buffet is part of the larger directive under new Mohegan Sun President & CEO Jeffery Hartmann to improve the glitz at the casino, helping the property retain its title as the premier gambling destination in the Northeast.

Hartmann believes this glitz is important to entice new and existing customers to travel past more convenient gaming locations in New York, Rhode Island and — if legislation passes — Massachusetts. In 2010, Mohegan Sun got 46 percent of its clientele from outside Connecticut, and in-state rival Foxwoods Resort Casino launched an initiative this year to grow its share of the Connecticut market.

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Other efforts in Hartmann’s plan to maintain Mohegan Sun’s status as a premier destination include a new 300-500 room hotel and new restaurant/night club Ballo operated by West Hartford chef John J. Tunny III.

To provide the appropriate Wow Factor for the new buffet, Mohegan Sun sent executives to Las Vegas and other premier gambling destinations to develop ideas.

“We knew we needed to refresh the product because the old buffet was a little bit too old,” Zazzaro said.

The original Seasons opened with the rest of the casino in 1996, and, aside from a few facelifts, remained the same for the next 15 years until closing in January for this new retrofit. Starting July 1, Seasons will be the only buffet at Mohegan Sun. The casino is converting the Sunburst Buffet into a banquet facility.

Unlike traditional buffets that put out large quantities of food under heat lamps for long stretches of time, Seasons will focus on smaller portions with an artisan approach, said Craig Schmalz, chef de cuisine of Seasons Buffet.

The buffet features low counters so patrons can watch food being prepared; 85 percent of the offerings will be made in full view of the guests. The 250-linear-foot serving line will display more than 200 items, Schmalz said.

“Good, simple, fresh food done well,” Schmalz said. “That’s the part of this exercise — fresh food … You can sit and watch these guys cook, which to me is awesome.”

The cuisine will vary widely, Schmalz said, but the buffet hosting special sections for customers preferring Asian food, such as sushi and noodles, and New England favorites, such as fried fish and clam chowder. The dessert station features 45 items in addition to a sundae bar.

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“Everybody will be very blown away,” Schmalz said. “You can’t go away hungry. That’s impossible.”

While the retrofit is part of the glitz initiative to attract patrons to Mohegan from far off destinations, the buffet gives local residents another restaurant option and make a short-trip to the casino, Zazzaro said.

The casino lost some of the local restaurant market over the past few years, and the buffet will bring those customers back, Zazzaro said. Seasons will open at 7:30 a.m. for a $12 breakfast, a $21 lunch and a $25 dinner. The restaurant closes at 10 a.m. every day except Friday and Saturday, when closing time is midnight.

“Customers see value in the buffet, and they see the ability to try different foods,” Zazzaro said. “It is not as glamorous as a celebrity chef restaurant, but it meets our customers’ needs.”

Money spent at the Seasons and Sunburst buffets represents 40 percent of Mohegan’s total revenue from food and beverage, equating to 1.5 million customers annually.

The new Seasons could drive an even greater percentage of business because three restaurants around it closed. Seasons expanded into the space formerly occupied by The Longhouse steakhouse; and Ballo will open later this year in the space left by the other two restaurants.

Because the casino wanted the buffet open as soon as possible, Mohegan decided to open the buffet at the start of the July 4th weekend, even though that’s a traditionally slow weekend for the property. The important aspect is to open Seasons and create a buzz.

“The product is going to speak for itself,” Zazzaro said.

Source: https://t-tees.com
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