By GREGORY ZELLER //
Las Vegas Sands is betting on the adage that the fastest way to someone’s heart is through their stomach.
The global hotelier, fresh off inking a 99-year mega-lease for the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum property, has revealed memorandums of understanding with a smorgasbord of regional and national restaurant groups – the “foundation of a premier dining experience that will put Long Island on the culinary map for global tourism,” according to the Nevada-based resort-maker.
Referencing a “carefully curated collection of food and beverage venues,” Sands noted VIP-level Italian eatery Rao’s, stylish Mediterranean mainstay Estiatorio Milos and Poll Restaurants – operator of select Island eateries including Roslyn’s Bryant & Cooper Steakhouse and The Bryant in Huntington Station – among the restaurant brands “that have entered into agreements to explore dining concepts … at the planned Long Island destination.”
The bouillabaisse thickens: Will celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten bring his unique brand to Sands New York? Stay tuned.
That planned destination – a $4 billion casino-hotel in Uniondale – took a major step forward April 27, when Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced the new Nassau Coliseum lease agreement. The deal includes a one-time $54 million fee (to be paid to Nassau County before the end of June) and annual rent of either $5 million or $10 million, depending on whether Sands lands one of three downstate casino licenses up for grabs from the New York State Gaming Commission.
Despite comprehensive efforts to prove itself a worthy addition to the regional socioeconomic mix – including hosting a “procurement academy” for Long Island mom-and-pops interested in doing business, signing an employee-training agreement with Nassau Community College and inviting David Beckham to play soccer with local kids – Sands is mixing it up with various levels of local resistance to its powerhouse proposal.
A Hofstra University lawsuit (challenging the Nassau County Planning Commission’s handling of the deal), a Hofstra Trustees open letter (calling the proposed resort “entirely inappropriate” for a residential suburb), a symbolic stand by Garden City lawmakers (citing similar community-based concerns) and grassroots civic resistance all oppose the plan.
Robert Goldstein: Come hungry.
With its century-long lease in hand, Sands has vowed to win over opponents and build a world-class destination resort with or without a casino – and if the menu selections are any indication, it’s not kidding about the world-class part.
In addition to headliners like Rao’s and celebrated French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Sands is in talks with Florida-based 50 Eggs Hospitality Group (home base of celebrity chefs including Lorena Garcia and Tetsuya Wakuda), Turkish multinational D.ream Group (parent of Japanese cuisine standout Zuma Restaurants, Latin American sizzler Amazónico and other popular global restaurant brands) and other eclectic providers.
The goal, according to Sands Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Goldstein, is to position not just the shiny new resort, but all of foodie-friendly Long Island as a culinary capital.
“The dining experiences we create will be a magnet for a global audience to view Long Island and its dining scene as must-experience destination,” Goldstein said Tuesday. “In every region we’ve entered, the restaurants at our resorts have accentuated existing offerings and contributed game-changing positive impact for the entire local hospitality industry.”
