Beau Rivage will spend millions on upgrades to restaurants, hotel rooms. Here’s the list.
The biggest splash of the multi-million dollar remodel at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino is the redo of each of the more than 1,700 hotel rooms.
The greatest transformation most people will notice is the new look and feel at Jia restaurant.
Gone are the privacy slats and the waterfall at the entrance of the Asian-concept restaurant at the far side of the casino floor. Now Jia is open to the casino floor and new furniture and lighting will complete the redesign in time for Lunar New Year on Feb. 1.
A noodle bar with seating for 18, built to the left of the entrance, incorporates fresh vegetables, meat and seafood into soups and noodle dishes. Also on the noodle bar is Bánh Mì — traditional Vietnamese sandwiches dressed in pickled carrot, daikon and cucumber. The sandwiches are served on locally-sourced bread from Henry’s Café & Bakery, a Vietnamese restaurant and sandwich shop in D’Iberville.
“Coastal Mississippi has a strong Vietnamese influence,” said Kristian Wade, Beau Rivage executive chef. “We have infused local and Eastern culture culinary flavors to redevelop the Jia menu by delivering the finest product available to our guests while also focusing on simplicity and letting the food speak for itself.”
Traditionalists can still order crab fried rice or teriyaki salmon, and for more adventurous diners are new and bolder Vietnamese and other entrees. The full menu is available Wednesday through Sunday, and for late night dining. The noodle bar and sushi bar are open until 2 a.m., and both will be open on Feb. 1 for the New Year.
More than the restaurant has changed. The baccarat pit and some slot machines were relocated steps away from the dining room.
Terrace Cafe in the atrium
Terrace Cafe is the second restaurant getting a makeover at the Beau Rivage.
Located inside the front entrance, the restaurant is open 24 hours and serves breakfast all day, along with a menu ranging from a bowl of gumbo to a steak and seafood platter.
It will expand into the atrium area of the lobby, where diners will be seated under the soaring ceilings and will have a view of the seasonal decorations, the beds of flowers and people arriving at the resort. It will take the new name of Atrium Cafe and get new flooring and other updates.
“Customer feedback drives a lot of these changes,” said Mary Cracchiolo Spain, spokesperson for MGM Resorts Southeast Operations. That area once was Maggie’s jazz bar. It went away when the buffet expanded into the atrium and now with the increased demand for the cafe seating during the coronavirus, is repurposed again.
Where buffalo roam
An area on the other side of the buffet will be transformed into BuffaloZone, a theme room with Aristocrat slot machines like Buffalo Chief, Buffalo Diamond and Buffalo Gold.
Gold Strike Casino in Tunica was one of the first casinos outside of Vegas to get a designated BuffaloZone in May and it’s been very popular there.
Brandon Dardeau was a senior vice president at Gold Strike at the time and recently became president and chief operating officer at Beau Rivage and Gold Strike.
“Buffalo games are extremely popular among our players,” he said, and this special section enhances the customer experience.
Work will begin Feb. 7 and the room is expected to be ready by late April.
Contemporary, coastal room redo
All of the suites at the Beau Rivage were totally remodeled before the coronavirus and now the more than 1,700 guest rooms will get a makeover for a fresh look and to add technology upgrades.
Just as guests probably weren’t aware of the work in the suites, Spain said, they likely won’t notice this remodel.
“It’s done in such a way it doesn’t disrupt business,” she said. The company has thousands of hotel rooms in Vegas that are continually updated.
The redesign is inspired by the blues and greens of the water and foliage, the colors and texture of the sand and with accents of sunny coral, yellows and soft sunset oranges to create a breezy, contemporary feel with a Gulf Coast sense of place, Spain said.
This story was originally published January 28, 2022 at 8:00 AM.
