Ojos Locos, a popular restaurant chain with 22 locations in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, is opening its first Nevada location, which it claims will be the first Latino-focused casino and hotel in the US.
The chain, known for its Spanish-language broadcasts of soccer matches and servers who greet diners in Spanish, is partnering with Las Vegas-based Fifth Street Gaming to transform the Lucky Club Hotel-Casino in North Las Vegas into the Ojos Locos Sports Cantina y Casino at Hotel Jefe. The renaming ceremony and groundbreaking for the renovation will be held Tuesday morning. Fifth Street Gaming’s CEO, Seth Schorr, said they are pleased to join forces with Ojos Locos. This brand has established itself as a leader in providing authentic hospitality experiences to the Latino community over the past 12 years.
When the rebranding is complete, the Ojos Locos Sports Cantina y Casino at Hotel Jefe will offer 10,000 square feet of gaming space, 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor entertainment space, and the largest Ojos Locos restaurant in the US, which can seat up to 300 guests. Fifth Street Gaming, which operates a portfolio of casinos, gaming taverns, restaurants, and bar concepts including the Downtown Grand in Las Vegas and the Silver Nugget Casino in North Las Vegas, will oversee the new location. The hotel will remain open during renovations, but its casino and restaurant will be closed.
Ojos Locos is known for celebrating Latino culture, with servers that greet diners in Spanish and TVs that play Spanish-language broadcasts of soccer matches. The hotel-casino will continue this tradition, offering Spanish entertainment such as concerts, Mexican rodeos, and food festivals. A recent study found that Hispanics are the second-fastest growing and second-largest ethnic group in the US.
Latinos will make up almost 29% of the US population. In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Fifth Street Gaming CEO Seth Schorr stated that the Latino community deserves an experience designed specifically for them in every way, including language, food, entertainment, and all programs.
