Schenectady

Patrons of the under-development Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady will have a variety of dining options, from Italian pastries and pan-Asian favorites to a casual steakhouse, when the gaming facility opens in the spring.

All will be run by the Mallozzi Group, which has a 51-year history in the Electric City. The expansion to manage food and beverage operations at a $330 million casino with 2.3 million projected visitors annually will vastly increase the number of people fed by the Mallozzi Group, which presently operates three restaurants, a banquet facility, a bakery and a hotel, all in Schenectady County. The company was chosen last summer by casino owner Rush Street Gaming and its local development partner, the Rotterdam-based Galesi Group. Galesi Group CEO Dave Buicko is married to Christine Mallozzi, one of three siblings who own and manage the company founded by their parents in 1965 with the opening of the Villa Italia pastry shop.

"People want comfort, and they want food they know," said Bobby Mallozzi, another of the siblings. Mallozzi representatives visited other Rush Street casinos and worked with company executives to develop the range of offerings for Rivers Casino, Mallozzi said.

"Our goal is to create a casual, comfortable atmosphere where people can enjoy themselves with good food," he said.

Based on patterns at other Rush Street properties, between 75 and 85 percent of visitors will consume food or drink during their visit, said Mary Cheeks, general manager of Rivers Casino. The average visitor will be a woman, age 55 or older, who plays the slots and stays for two to three hours, she said; patrons at table and poker games skew younger, 35 and older, and play for four hours on average.

Initial plans call for the casino to hire 180 staff for food and beverage operations. The Mallozzi Group itself will grow slightly, Mallozzi said; presently, three staffers are dedicated solely to the project. The company has a management agreement with Rush Street to oversee the casino's food and beverage operations. The entire casino and resort expects to hire up to 1,100 people, 80 percent full time, Cheeks said.

The restaurants:

Dukes Chophouse, a 140-seat casual steakhouse named after Tony "The Duke" DeLorenzo, the first employee of The Galesi Group and assistant to the Galesi chairman for 40 years.

Mian, offering popular items from several Asian culinary traditions, including dim sum, noodles and rice dishes. It replicates a concept at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, Ill., outside of Chicago, that is also owned by Rush Street Properties.

Flipt, another carryover from the Illinois casino, will offer burgers, hot dogs, sides, salads and more.

Johnny's to Go: A fast-casual sibling to the Mallozzi's popular downtown-Schenectady Italian restaurant Johnny's.

Villa Italia: The downtown bakery will supply its coffee, pastries, confections and other treats to a café at the casino.

Dukes will be a self-contained restaurant, open for dinner daily and for light fare at its bar from 11 a.m. The other four will be grouped around central seating, essentially as a food court, to be called the Marketplace. Flipt and Villa Italia will serve 24 hours a day; Mian and Johnny's, from lunch until late daily. Hotel guests may order room service from any of the restaurants, and their fare will be available to table gamblers as well, Cheeks said.

There will also be an additional bar and entertainment lounge with a capacity of 80 for local bands and comedians, she said.

The Mallozzis will manage the casino's 10,000-square-foot banquet facility, said to be capable of hosting more than 600 people for banquets, up to 900 for cocktails, making it one of the largest spaces in the region.

Rivers Casino & Resort will have a 50,000-square-foot gaming floor with 1,150 slot machines, 63 gaming tables and 16 poker tables attached to a 163-room hotel. It is adjacent to the Mohawk Harbor development currently under construction by the Galesi Group, which represents an additional $150 million investment in the 60-acre riverfront property. Mohawk Harbor includes residential, retail, commercial space, a 124-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel and a 50-slip marina on the Mohawk River and Erie Canal.

Mallozzi said he is confident the huge swell of visitors to the casino will result in a boost in sales at Johnny's and Villa Italia, located a few minutes' drive from Rivers, rather than drawing away existing customers.

"We've already seen an improvement in business just from the development and construction phase," Mallozzi said. "There's a residential boom the likes of which city hasn't seen since the heyday of GE. People are going out, spending money. It's an exciting time, and there's that much more to look forward to."

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