Casino Buffets about played out!

[GRANDPASMUCKER]

Found out today that Harrahs Buffet is now closed all day on Wednesdays and Thursdays and the Buffet at the Horseshoe Casino is closed all day on Mondays and Tuesdays. I went to the buffet at Harrahs and there was no line or crowds what so ever. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Restaurants that are failing are going to have to come up with a new excuse now I guess. I remember when Harrahs was Harveys and they had grilled out steak everyday instead of the yucky meatloaf and ham they were serving today It looks like Harrahs is loosing a fortune trying to keep that casino open! Wonder what made the old people stop coming in droves like they were

[Toto]

Serious question here, what do you like about Buffets?

[MadMartin8]

Wonder what made the old people stop coming in droves like they were

Death.

[GRANDPASMUCKER]

Serious question here, what do you like about Buffets?

I like watching the old ladies dig thru the chicken looking for wings. Reminds me of when I was a boy at Halloween and we would bob for apples

[GRANDPASMUCKER]

Wonder what made the old people stop coming in droves like they were

Death.

What did make them stop coming man They are not playing slots in droves anymore either. Maybe they finally figured out that sitting there all day pushing a button is boring. Maybe the gambling industry is doing a lousy job of playing to the senior citizens. Maybe the old timers don't like these new slot machines that you dont put any coins in that look like video games at a kids arcade. I dont know why the old timers quit coming but the Casinos better figure out fast because they got to be hemorraging cash.

[jessep28]

Maybe I just went at the wrong times, but I never found casino buffets to be that great of a value.

[Omababe]

Yes, I agree that casino business is down, locally that is.

I very seldom get there during the week but I've been told by those who do that it's basically the same crowd every day, mostly older, and not the demographic to eat hearty (translation: totally pig out at a buffet) for lunch or dinner. Thus they are staggering the weeknight buffets between the two.

Horseshoe has also cut back on their entertainment. Until recently they had a band on both Friday and Saturday but now it's Saturday only and frequently preempted by some special event. It's maybe once every 2-3 months that I get over there for a weekend evening, but on those evenings I have, the crowds do appear to still be good, at least at Ameristar and Horseshoe, with Ameristar probably the more crowded of the two.

Nobody I know goes to Harrah's anymore. I haven't been to Harrah's in over a year I would guess. It's tiny and they have very few machines that I like. There was some speculation a while back that CET would be trying to sell it, now the speculation is that they will probably eventually just close it.

IIRC we used to have at least one Harrah's/Horseshoe employee here semi-regularly. Any comments on that?

But as to buffets, the Horseshoe buffet has majorly slipped, food wise. Everyone appears to be in agreement on this. Selection and quality are way down. The ambiance of the Horseshoe buffet is awful! Bright lights and wide open! Puny tables. No real booths, just half-booth walls with uncomfortable seats. It reminds me of a high school cafeteria, just without 2000 kids yelling and throwing things.

Now the Ameristar buffet is still good. Their weekend brunch is always very good and they still have champagne on Sunday. It's not cheap ($17-ish) but most everything is tasty. It's also a far better environment to relax and enjoy a meal.

I haven't been to Harrah's buffet in maybe 2-3 years.

[swgiust]

I think this would be a perfect time for Nebraska to legalize casino gambling. Look at how well it is working out for Iowa. The money just magically appears and our government with their great fiscal discipline spends it so wisely.....

[Brad]

IIRC we used to have at least one Harrah's/Horseshoe employee here semi-regularly. Any comments on that?

They haven't logged on since last September.

[suzyfarkas]

I have been going to the casinos for a long time and I love the horseshoe and harrahs buffets the most. horseshoe has so much to choose from and harrahs has a new cool drink station my husband and me like so much with so many different sodas and other beverages. I have friends who work there and they are treated very good and love working there. Ameristar buffet is no good, actually I don't go there any more because machines too tight, at least I win at the other casinos.

[lisanstan]

I'm still here semi-regularly but I don't usually login when I'm just reading. I can only say that gaming is a tight business here with three casinos right next to each other. We all cannibalize the same customers, and Council Bluffs is not exactly a gaming mecca bringing in a ton of players from around the world. The real challenge these days is capturing the next generation. Our core customer base is aging.

That said, I'm anxious to see who is coming to Stir Cove this year. My favorite time of the year!

[nebugeater]

I'm still here semi-regularly but I don't usually login when I'm just reading. I can only say that gaming is a tight business here with three casinos right next to each other. We all cannibalize the same customers, and Council Bluffs is not exactly a gaming mecca bringing in a ton of players from around the world. The real challenge these days is capturing the next generation. Our core customer base is aging.

That said, I'm anxious to see who is coming to Stir Cove this year. My favorite time of the year!

Do you think Hard Rock in Sioux City has had any impact? I am guessing that there is a number of out of towners that used to come to CB now got to SS. No idea how many though.

[Omababe]

That said, I'm anxious to see who is coming to Stir Cove this year. My favorite time of the year!

Stir Cove is the one redeeming thing about Harrah's. The only problem is that it's very chancy regarding the weather situation.

Do you think Hard Rock in Sioux City has had any impact? I am guessing that there is a number of out of towners that used to come to CB now got to SS. No idea how many though.

Another factor is that, although it has a very low profile, what they used to call Casino Omaha (forget what they call it now) has reopened and is actually quite nice. Winnavegas is also in there but seems to be kinda off the radar as well.

[Omababe]

I'm still here semi-regularly but I don't usually login when I'm just reading.

Any comments about the speculation that CET is thinking of doing away with the current Harrah's and putting all of the eggs into the Horseshoe basket? (Hint: If you don't want to say under your name, there's the rumors section.)

[omaharocks]

I worked at one of the casinos right after they first opened. The excitement of them being new to the area and the competition amongst the three properties made for a fun and challenging work environment. People used to wait in line for the buffets for over an hour, sometimes two. I remember telling someone there once that I thought the novelty would eventually wear off. I'm not sure if that's actually the case now, but I think the recession 10 years ago might have had an effect, and like someone else on the thread mentioned, that original core audience has passed away and attracting new clientele is harder now. There are many more options for your entertainment dollar now. I used to go pretty often - when I worked there and for a while after I left. Now I don't think I've been to any of them (except concerts at Stir) in at least two years, and I don't know anyone who goes regularly - which is the exact customer this market counts on.

[advcomp2019]

Another factor is that, although it has a very low profile, what they used to call Casino Omaha (forget what they call it now) has reopened and is actually quite nice. Winnavegas is also in there but seems to be kinda off the radar as well.

Casino Omaha is now Blackbird Bend. They don't have a buffet every day too.

[Greg S]

I worked at one of the casinos right after they first opened. The excitement of them being new to the area and the competition amongst the three properties made for a fun and challenging work environment. People used to wait in line for the buffets for over an hour, sometimes two. I remember telling someone there once that I thought the novelty would eventually wear off. I'm not sure if that's actually the case now, but I think the recession 10 years ago might have had an effect, and like someone else on the thread mentioned, that original core audience has passed away and attracting new clientele is harder now. There are many more options for your entertainment dollar now. I used to go pretty often - when I worked there and for a while after I left. Now I don't think I've been to any of them (except concerts at Stir) in at least two years, and I don't know anyone who goes regularly - which is the exact customer this market counts on.

Also for me, it's the smoking. I have got so used to not having to deal with smoke anymore that I have a hard time being in the casinos. I used to go more and play craps and poker. Also liked the buffets. I just can't take it for too long.

Greg