Latin nightclub, tequila garden part of Lucky Club’s rebrand

Mariachi music rang out of the Lucky Club in North Las Vegas Tuesday morning — a clear signal of the hotel-casino’s future that will cater to a Latino customer base.

Lucky Club, near the Cheyenne Avenue exit of Interstate 15, will be renamed the Ojos Locos Sports Cantina y Casino at Hotel Jefe, business leaders said at a groundbreaking for the project. The change has been heralded as the first Latino-focused hotel-casino in the country.

Fifth Street Gaming CEO Seth Schorr, who has operated the property since 2007, said this was an idea in the making since his company acquired the property, and the site has always tailored its services and programming to the Latino community. He said he’s confident that the rebrand will align with customer desires.

“We have been building relationships with the Latino community for 15 years,” Schorr said. “There’s no question whether it’s the right concept or whether this is the right neighborhood. We know that with 100 percent certainty. Now it’s up to us and our team to execute it well and to give the community the experience that they deserve.”

A major component of the rebrand is Fifth Street’s partnership with Ojos Locos Sports Cantina, a Dallas-based sports bar chain. In the center of the property’s casino floor, there will be the largest Ojos Locos restaurant in the country with a 250-person capacity. It will also be the sports bar chain’s first Nevada location.

The revamped property will also include a 40-person bar near the entrance, a remodeled sportsbook, 90 renovated hotel rooms, a new Latino nightclub and outdoor tequila garden.

The hotel will remain open during construction, but the casino and restaurant will remain closed starting Monday, Schorr said. The project is expected to be completed in mid-January.

Schorr declined to share how much the renovations will cost but said the company is “not sparing any expense.”

North Las Vegas Councilman Isaac Barron said he welcomed the renovation, seeing it as stimulus for an underserved neighborhood.

“The area, of course, has been under a lot of pressure with financial issues so this, a reinvestment by Fifth Street Gaming in cooperation with our friends from Ojos Locos, it’s a big deal for the area,” Barron said. “It’ll bring a Latino edge to the entertainment in this area. It’s gonna be something that’s going to be specifically for the Latino community, which is a big financial part of the city.”

The project was also welcomed by the Latin Chamber of Commerce. Albert Delgado, chamber ambassador, said there isn’t concern about whether the idea is exploitative. He compared it to businesses on the Strip that brought Mexican boxing icon Canelo Alvarez to T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.

“If they come into a place that predominantly speaks their language, that they’re comfortable with, they’re gonna feel more comfortable and more relaxed in that particular environment. It’s been 15 years in the making for (Fifth Street Gaming), and they see that there is a huge advantage, and I think the Latino community as well appreciates that and will support that,” Delgado said.

Fifth Street Gaming operates a portfolio of casinos, gaming taverns and bars and restaurants. It includes the Downtown Grand in downtown Las Vegas and the Silver Nugget in North Las Vegas, the latter of which includes the JefeBet Events Center, which is capable of hosting larger entertainment programs such as Mexican rodeo.

Ojos Locos has more than a dozen restaurants in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Its sports bars are filled with high-definition TVs broadcasting Spanish-language sports shows.

McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on Twitter.