For Sean Christie, putting in a restaurant at Resorts World in Las Vegas came down to give and take. “They had space available. They wanted a steakhouse.”
Since Christie just launched Carver Road Hospitality, the timing was good.
“There was a level of trust that we’d be great partners,” said Christie, whose resume includes stints with MGM Resorts and Wynn Las Vegas. “Steakhouses usually perform really well. It was a big space, which I liked. All those things collided to create this opportunity for both sides.”
Christie hired Daniel Ontiveros as chef, and Francesco Lafranconi to be vice president of beverage and hospitality culture, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“We feel like we hired one of the best chefs,” Christie said.
With so many steakhouses, what makes Carversteak different.
“We have a lot of technology that turns into an atmosphere of classic-into-contemporary,” Christie said. “Earlier in the evening, the lights will be brighter, music will be of a certain genre. As the place comes alive, the lights go down a little bit, music comes up, and there’s a pace and energy that’s still restaurant-forward and culinary-forward but that creates that buzz.”
There’s also a 28-seat bar near the entrance that will serve a full menu.
“Over the years the Las Vegas consumer has changed the way it relates to steakhouses,” Christie said. “There’s a sector of people who like to eat at the bars; I’ve noticed this in the past five or so years. For myself, when I go in with friends, the bar is a place we naturally end up.”
One signature steak will be a 40-ounce wagyu tomahawk rib chop.
“Those are the ones that kept jumping out at us,” he said. “We didn’t overdo it, but you still see that aesthetic throughout the entire venue.”
One unique feature will be the Knife Shop, a private dining room in partnership with the Portland Knife House of Portland, Oregon. Guests will be able to order knives and have them shipped directly.
One prepares to open; another restaurant prepares to close.
Restaurant Marigold shut its doors December 2, five months after it opened inside of Resorts World, said spokeswoman, Dana Rutkin. When Resorts World opened June 24, it claimed more than 40 bars or restaurants, including Marigold, which featured burgers and lobster.
