Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa announced the Rez Grill will open December 14. The 120-seat restaurant will feature an American grill concept, and a name that evokes a Native American Indian reservation.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa President Joe Lupo said, “We’re proud of our roots with the Seminole tribe.”
The Rez Grill is one of numerous changes happening on the property, Lupo added, designed to transform the hotel and casino into a dining destination in Tampa Bay. He said the Rez Grill will be sophisticated but comfortable, with some aspects of fine dining without the formality. Entrees will range from $25 to $35.
Lupo added, “We’re in the middle of a large renovation and are going to make food and beverage a pillar of our organization. How do we do that? We said, ‘Let’s get a chef like Frank in here and produce something great.'”
Newly appointed Culinary Director Frank Anderson managed the kitchens at James Beard-awarded, Los Angeles-based restaurants Animal and Son of a Gun. The hotel also has hired a new vice president, executive chef, restaurant director, beverage director and chef in the high-end Council Oak steakhouse.
Lupo said two other dining options will include an Italian restaurant opening in January 2019 and a seafood restaurant debuting in May 2019. Besides those and the Rez Grill, visitors also can dine at the multi-kitchen Fresh Harvest buffet, the noodle bar, the VIP Plum Lounge and the Hard Rock Café. That’s a total of nine separate dining concepts and about 1,000 seats.
Lupo said one reason for offering so many dining choices is to attract millennials. “The typical millennial doesn’t yet have the discretionary income, and in testing with slots, they aren’t the best market,” Lupo said.
Anderson and Lupo plan to offer culinary demonstrations, wine and beer dinners and other events to draw a more “foodie” crowd. Lupo also said the new Orient Road parking garage, which provides direct access to many of the restaurants, will appeal to those who only want to dine, not gamble.
