Miami Valley Gaming unveils two new restaurants
Jul. 20—Customers at Ohio's No. 1 racino have two new dining choices.
Miami Valley Gaming in Monroe unveiled Lucia's and Route 63, located in the space formerly occupied by Acres Buffett, Wednesday morning during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Craig Robinson, president and general manager of MVG, said he was excited to celebrate the conclusion of the projects as they "crossed the finish line."
The two restaurants opened to the public at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Robinson said the renovation of the former buffet space and the expansion of the outdoor gaming patio was a $19 million investment.
The outdoor patio expanded from 2,500 square feet to 10,000 square feet, he said. The patio will provide customers "an amazing experience" and assure MVG is their "venue of choice," he said.
The company will invest $13 million more in the next year keeping MVG "fresh" and the "best facility in the market," according to Robinson.
He said the changes were made after consulting with customers and the concepts were designed by Miami Valley Gaming employees.
Matt Schnelle, vice president of the Dayton region for Messer, the construction company that performed the work, called it a "very successful project."
Lucia's offers a variety of Italian dishes and is named after Lucy, the Lucky Buckeye lady seen in commercials. Robinson said MVG probably will find one of Lucy's long lost relatives in Italy and they may appear in a marketing campaign.
Route 63, named in honor of the racino's location, features burgers, chicken, meatloaf mash, chicken mash, fish mash, salads and desserts.
The two restaurants share one dining room with 200 seats. Just down the hall is the Buckeye Room that has 85 seats that will be used for meetings and overflow seating for the connecting Cin City, the high-end steak restaurant.
Robinson said MVG always tries to hire and retain local employees and use local contractors when possible. He said MVG has 425 team members and most of them live within a 10-mile drive from the racino.
Robinson joked that sometimes during conference calls he has to remind others that Miami Valley Gaming is located in Ohio, not Miami, Fla.
State Sen. Steve Wilson, who represents parts of Warren, Butler and Hamilton counties, said he graduated from Miami University and served as a trustee. He noted that Miami was founded in 1809, 36 years before Florida was a state.
He then thanked MVG officials for keeping all of their promises and continuing to pump money into the Warren County economy and supporting local organizations.
Robinson said MVG has donated more than $200,000 in the last 12 months to charities, mostly in Warren and Butler counties.
