With G2E upon us, I’ve been even busier than usual–hence no post yesterday. Here’s a preview of what I’ll be saying about food and beverage operations and casino brand identity, as covered in my LVBP column:
A property’s brand includes a great many things: the name, the architectural style, fonts used in signage and advertising, the uniforms, the entertainment, and the food and beverage offerings.To longtime casino observers, the idea of a “brand identity” for a casino may seem like a pretentious exercise in needless navel-gazing. After all, if you have loose slots and cheap eats, you wont be able to keep customers out of the place, right?
Actually, branding has been a big part of the casino game for decades. When the El Rancho Vegas, founded in 1941, decided in the early 1950s to position itself more competitively against the newer Flamingo and Sands casinos, it toned down the Stetson-and-jeans feel of the property for a more genteel French provincial ambiance. An important part of this change was transforming the Roundup Room dinner theater into the Opera House.
From there, I talk about the importance of selecting the right f&b mix for a property–something that most people in the business probably know but is interesting to talk about.