Cathy Dobson
Initial reports of a $26-million reinvestment in the Point Edward casino suggested a new family-friendly restaurant would be the main upgrade. That would be some restaurant.
Ex-NHLers Attend Casino Restaurant Opening (GALLERY) Gateway Casinos CEO Tony Santo and Point Edward Mayor Bev Hand cutting the ribbon at the grand opening of the new Match restaurant. Reservations are taken for inside dining only. Patio is a first come first serve. MATCH Eatery & Public House has combined the welcoming and social traditions of a neighborhood pub with the high-energy of a lively sports bar. The big game, the family celebrations, or social gatherings with friends. Our casual and upbeat atmosphere is ideal for any occasion. If you continue to use Match Casino Restaurant Sarnia this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Ok LV Bet: 100% Bonus up to £200 + up to 200 LV Spins on first deposit. Match Eatery strives to provide a full entertainment experience to all of its guests. It is the best place to watch your favorite game or take in the big fight and on the weekends, to enjoy live music, DJ’s and special event entertainment.
A tour of the riverside building with general manager Karen Richards reveals virtually every square foot of public space in the casino is going to be renovated over the next year.
The dramatic changes include interior walls knocked out to allow natural light to flood the gaming floor. There’s going to be 25 gaming tables – an increase from 21 – and 50 more slot machines for a total of 500.
“Customers will see a marked difference,” said Richards. “There’s going to be a different ambience, a flow to the gaming floor and more dining options.”
The major reinvestment was announced two months after the casino was purchased by Gateway Casinos & Gaming Limited, Canada’s largest gaming company.
Gateway simultaneously bought five other Southwestern Ontario gaming properties in Woodstock, London, Clinton, Dresden and Hanover, from the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG). When the deal was announced in May, Gateway acknowledged all six properties needed serious work.
Point Edward’s casino hasn’t been upgraded since 2009 and Richards said staff are “thrilled” the company chose to reinvest in Point Edward first.
“When Gateway’s CEO Tony Santo toured this casino, he said it was natural to brand us a Starlight property,” Richards said. Gateway has four brands that they apply to their 26 casinos across the country. Point Edward will be the company’s third Starlight property. The other two are out west.
Starlight branding means it will have a contemporary, urban feel with ample natural light, new flooring and new fixtures. Any hint of the original underwater theme will be gone, according to Richards.
The main entrance is due for big changes when the walls that separate it from the gaming floor come down.
“When you walk in, you’ll see our beautiful waterfront with guest services moved to your left and the new Match Eatery & Public House on the right,” explained Richards.
There’s currently only one restaurant in the casino, strictly accessible by walking through the gaming floor. That makes it off limits to anyone under 19.
But the new Match Eatery will have an outside entrance that minors can use at the casino’s north end. There will also be patio dining with a great view of the river and the Blue Water Bridge.
The existing Getaway Restaurant will be converted into The Buffet dining room.
The additional restaurant and more gaming tables and slots suggest the staff complement of 325 could increase.
Richards wasn’t specific about new hiring, but did put rumours to rest about the possibility of a hotel to accompany the casino.
“I have heard nothing about a hotel,” she said.
The $26 million will also finance an enlarged main bar in the centre of the gaming floor with weekly live entertainment. Of course there will also be upgrades that won’t be visible like mechanical and electrical improvements.
All the tradesmen will be local, Richards said. Construction work begins within the next two months and will be completed in four stages with the casino continuing to operate throughout the yearlong project.
Got an interesting business story? Contact Cathy at cathy.dobson@thesarniajournal.ca or call 226-932-0985.
Gateway Casinos, the new owner/operator of the gaming and entertainment facility located on the St. Clair River in Point Edward, took the wraps off its MATCH restaurant on Thursday in an event that featured “signature” drinks named after two well-known pro hockey veterans.
For Dino Ciccarelli, a veteran of the Detroit Red Wings, the drink is “Hometown Red.” Wendel Clark, a former star with the Toronto Maple Leafs, has “Rugged Blue” in his corner.
For the month of July, a portion of sales from each of the two signature drinks will be donated to St. Joseph’s Hospice.
Linda McColl, the new general manager of the facility, said capturing the unique character of the community is always a goal, something she said has been achieved as the $26-million redevelopment and rebrand of the facility—now to become Starlight Casino—extends to its expected completion in the fall.
“MATCH Point Edward gives a great flavour of the community and showcases its incredible natural surroundings along the river,” she said.
The restaurant seats 286.
One of the “touchpoints” of the new restaurant is an abstracted 3D wall mounted graphic that pays homage to the Grand Trunk Railway, which operated nearby.
Other images are also featured in the restaurant, including stencil art on bar column tiles that reference prohibition era smuggling activities, the date “1838,” which references the date a commercial fishery was established in the area, and a quote from hockey’s Don Cherry: “People think common sense is common—but it’s not.”
There are also numerous quotes related to Point Edward etched into table edges:
Match Casino Restaurant Sarnia London
—Three cheers across the blue waters.
—Cross that bridge when you come to it.
—The starting point for all achievement is desire.
Match Casino Restaurant Sarnia New Brunswick
—Style is the perfection of a point of view.
—Ideas are the beginning point of all fortunes.
The restaurant’s website is at www.matchpub.com.
mulbirihyptenva.netlify.com – 2021