Las Vegas Casino Dining Scene Shifts: Resorts World Replaces Mulberry Street, Athletics Steakhouse Planned

The Las Vegas casino dining landscape continues to evolve as major properties recalibrate food and beverage strategies heading into 2027 and 2028. Resorts World has closed the doors on Mulberry Street Pizza, a beloved Beverly Hills-founded brand that had operated as one of the resort's most consistently busy dining venues. Rather than renew its lease with the established operator, Resorts World is rolling out Amici New York Pizzeria, an entirely new concept developed in-house.

The decision represents a strategic pivot: instead of collecting rental income from a successful third-party tenant, Resorts World aims to capture direct profit margins from pizza sales. This gamble hinges on whether Mulberry Street's popularity stemmed from brand recognition or simply from its convenient location adjacent to Zouk Nightclub and appeal to late-night resort guests. To mitigate execution risk, Resorts World has enlisted Chef Ricky McCormick, who leads the property's Stubborn Seed restaurant and previously worked at Michelin-starred establishments including Restaurant Guy Savoy and multiple Gordon Ramsay locations.

Meanwhile, the upcoming Las Vegas Athletics ballpark at the former Tropicana site is introducing a higher-end dining component. Will Guidara, the renowned restaurateur behind New York's three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park and founder of the "Unreasonable Hospitality" movement, is designing a private 290-seat steakhouse and lounge. The Athletic Club will be accessible exclusively to season ticket holders and guests during games and stadium events, with seating positioned directly behind home plate at field level. The venue is scheduled to open alongside the ballpark in February 2028, as part of the $2 billion development.

Casino food and beverage offerings are also expanding at other major venues. T-Mobile Arena has added SMKD (Smoked Meats, Killer Drinks) BBQ, an upper-concourse food cart led by Top Chef Season 7 alumnus Chef Alex Reznik in partnership with Ogden Hospitality. The concept builds on SMKD's brick-and-mortar Henderson location, launched in November 2025. Caesars Palace is hosting a two-month international pop-up through the end of the year, welcoming Barcelona's SIPS Drinkery House to its Vista Cocktail Lounge from October 31 through December 31.

In southwest Las Vegas, UnCommons announced its new Stix Asia food hall, an 18,000-square-foot concept replacing the former Sundry food hall, with opening expected over the winter. Three Tokyo-founded restaurants have been confirmed: Ginza Bairin (established 1927), Ramen Bario, and Nanamusubi, with a dozen additional Asian cuisine concepts planned.

These developments underscore how Las Vegas casinos and entertainment venues are leveraging celebrity chef partnerships, exclusive membership models, and international culinary concepts to differentiate their hospitality offerings in an increasingly competitive market. The shift from third-party operators to in-house concepts, as seen at Resorts World, reflects broader industry trends toward vertical integration and margin optimization in the casino food and beverage space.