Foxwoods Friday

PEQUOTS BREAK GROUND FOR TANGERS OUTLET
The Mashantucket Pequot tribal casino, fresh off renegotiating sizable debt and competing for a gambling license in Massachusetts, now joins the neighboring Mohegan Sun in broadening the casino brand to include shopping at Tanger Outlets at Foxwoods. The outlet center will offer more than 80 stores, including American Eagle Outfitters, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein and Nike. The total investment will be $115 million.

Yesterday, the shovels came out, confetti released and Foxwoods celebrated breaking ground. I will cover more on the addition connecting MGM & Foxwoods in another post.


DEALERS GET DEAL RATIFIED
Table game dealers at Foxwoods Resort Casino have won a wage increase and the right to decide how to distribute their tips in a recently ratified contract.

But workers will still have to breathe in gamblers' cigarette smoke.

Because Indian sovereignty prevails, state law banning indoor smoking in most Connecticut businesses doesn't apply to Foxwoods, which is owned by the Mashantucket Pequots. The United Auto Workers union negotiated improved air filters and regular maintenance schedules.

The state negotiated a voluntary agreement with Connecticut's casinos to limit smoking.

The UAW also won an 11.5 percent wage increase over four years and preserved dealers' right to decide how to distribute tips.

PROMOTIONS

THE RAINMAKER SHOPS
Enjoy a free complimentary sample with purchase of Jack Black Authentic and Original. Available at The Rainmaker Shops.

REGALIA - Boston Strong items are now available for purchase at Foxwoods' Regalia located on the Great Cedar Concourse. Proceeds from your purchase go directly to One Fund Boston, which raises money to help those families most affected by the tragic events that unfolded during the Boston Marathon. We stand strong with our friends in Boston.

That's all for now.


Binbin

Candy Store Wars Between Connecticut's Casinos

In case you haven't noticed, there are two new candy stores in the CT Casinos. Both are are well known throughout the country. However, in some areas, they are quite different.

Dylan's Candy Bar
At Mohegan Sun, Dylan's Candy Bar, a pioneer in the candy industry, shows a passion for candy, art and design and redefined the words "candy store." You can experience over 5,000 types of candies including 300 types of bulk candy ranging from standard gummy worms, gummy bears, peach rings
and cola bottles, to wacky gummy teeth, and my favorites killer gummy sharks! You can also find novelty and nostalgic candy, including Wax Lips, Pixy Stix, Pez, and those candy cigarettes that I loved as a kid. They also have a great array of bulk chocolates, including the customer favorite Vanilla Clodhoppers.

Dylan’s Candy Bar also extends beyond candy and chocolate so much, they want to wear it – with candy-inspired tee shirts, tanks, pajamas, hoodies and more. Candy-colored jewelry and accessories, like “I Love Candy” bangles (featured in InStyle) and Whirly Pop Tote, will add sweet accents to any outfit.  Dylan’s Candy Bar also has their Re-Treat Collection: a collection of spa products inspired by favorite candy flavors, designed to cleanse, soothe and melt stress away.

Dylan's says, "Candy, chocolate and all things sweet are our passions, but more than anything we love sharing them with all candy fans…that means you!"


LICK
Just 10 minutes away at Foxwoods-MGM Grand is a little different type of candy store - Lick.
LICK, the ultimate candy shop, has everything from confectionary classics to decadent modern creations, sure to satisfy adults and kids of all ages. With something, or perhaps everything, for even the most discerning sweet tooth, LICK boasts candies and souvenir novelties from around the world, all wrapped in a fun, contemporary and interactive environment to delight both the young and young at heart.

The store is small but nicely laid out, similar to Dylans. It has your typical candy store offerings like Jelly Belly's and chocolate covered nuts, but they also had tons of old school candy that's hard to find now days. I was able to pick me up some Bit O' Honey, another childhood fave, and it was actually soft!

However, there is a place that steers Lick away from the usual family candy store. They have an entire section of gag candy - tons of sex themed suckers, mints, etc. for bachelor and bachelorette parties. They also have an entire section of Bacon items - from band aids that look like bacon, to bacon flavored floss, to gummy bacon. If you want chocolate covered ants, or a sucker with a worm in it, they have it. If you want a giant gummy cockroach, they have it. If you want a tin of mints with your name on it, they have it as long is your name is simple like John, Sue, or Michael. Like a certain flavor of Jelly Belly (like Dr. Pepper)? You can buy the flavors in bulk or individually!

One more thing, they also have a "LICK" photobooth, where you can take a picture of how you "lick" your candy. (Haha, I guess the pun may be intended if you want it to.) Then you can choose to email it to yourself!

All in all, both are worth a visit. Expect to pay a little more for the casino locations, but I can't imagine anyone not pleased with the selection - especially those adults of you looking for something, let's say, a little mature in content at LICK?!

That's all for now. I need a sweet for my "royal" sweet-tooth.

Binbin

Mohegan Sun Sunday

Mohegan Sun announced plans Tuesday for a $50 million retail complex with a 14-screen movie theater, a bowling alley, a barn-style artisan-food pavilion and high-end shops.
In all, the "Downtown District" development is expected to add 50 retailers and 200,000 square feet to the Mohegan Sun casino, entertainment and retail complex. Construction is to begin later this year finishing an expansion that was interrupted in 2008 by the economic downturn. It is expected to be completed in 2015.

"It's been our strategy all along to enhance the destination experience and have more of an attraction factor, to give people a reason to drive a little further," Etess, Mohegan Sun CEO said.

The Downtown District will feature a retail store promenade called High Street Fashion. It also will have a "PopNShop," which is a storefront that changes monthly, offering trunk shows, product debuts and "the world's best designers," the casino said. All of the retailers are new to Mohegan Sun.

The Downtown District will be built by real-estate developers The Hampshire Cos. of Morristown, N.J., and The Bronson Cos. of Winton, Calif. Richard "Skip" Bronson, founder of The Bronson Cos., was an original co-developer of CityPlace in Hartford.

Plans call for a Taste of New England Gourmet Hall, a large, barn-like pavilion with artisan foods from all six New England states. The hall will have special events, including a farmers market and a harvest festival.

Another feature is Kings Bowl, a "retro modern" bowling and dining attraction by The Lyons Group of Boston, which has similar facilities with a mid-20th-century-modern motif in the Boston area, in Rosemont, Ill., and in Orlando, Fla. The bowling and dining facility will be more than 20,000 square feet.

The development also will have a Marquee Cinemas 14-screen theater, called the Mohegan multiplex, including an IMAX-type theater. Marquee operates movie theaters in eight states, including the Westbrook 12 cinema.

"From farm-to-table to films, designer fashions to date night, the Downtown District will be an amenity to the resort and a daily destination for locals and visitors alike," Mark Rivers, president of The Bronson Cos., said in a prepared statement.

It looks like Retail Wars has started in the CT tribal nations. Once, they were together as one and history saw them take different paths. Let's hope this makes these two giant properties the draw (together) they are hoping for.

That's all for now.

Binbin

Mohegan Sun "Sun-day"

Here's the news from Uncasville:

Mohegan Sun continues PowerPlay Bonusing.
PowerPlay Bonusing delivers promotional games like Virtual Racing, Power Winners Progressive Jackpot and Power Winners Instant Hit directly to your slot game while you're playing. You have more ways to win instantly as you play your favorite games! Check website for days and times

Beautiful Blue Glass Structure Damaged
A Massachusetts man was arrested Sunday at Mohegan Sun after police said he damaged the 25-foot-tall River Blue glass sculpture created by world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly.Police said he did about $1,500 in damages. The 10,000-pound, 14-foot-wide sculpture is composed 2,500 colored glass components hand-blown by a team of artisans in Seattle and assembled on site in 2001. Other casinos that display his work include Bellagio in Las Vegas, Borgata in Atlantic City and Resorts World in Singapore. Dale Chihuly is an American glass sculptor and entrepreneur. His works are considered unique to the field of blown glass, and according to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, "moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture."

More Shopping Planned
Mohegan Sun is planning to build a new shopping plaza of between 10 and 30 stores. The tribe and its casino are close to signing a partnership agreement for the building of the new plaza, but declined to name the venture partner. The plaza will be located near the casino’s Winter Entrance, the entrance that was Mohegan Sun’s original customer front entrance when it opened in 1996.
The plaza is a key part of Mohegan Sun’s drive to add amenities to make it stand out from gambling only casinos in nearby states,such as Twin River. It is also similar to the project that has already begun, creating a new shopping plaza at Foxwoods.

Sun Grid Improving for the Future
The Mohegan Sun, has selected Tantalus as the exclusive smart grid communications provider for the facility. Mohegan Sun will deploy the Tantalus Utility Network (TUNet®) for precise, real-time meter reading via a high-performance fiber backbone. Mohegan Sun joins a small number of casinos around the world to deploy a fully operational, independent smart grid solution at its facilities. (The casino’s electrical load requirement currently tops 25 MW, enough to power a small town.) Mohegan Sun will immediately utilize TUNet for meter reading automation and administration with the ability to incorporate future advanced energy management applications. With the addition of TUNet, the organization furthers its commitment to adopt the most efficient, technologically advanced solutions available while implementing the groundwork to accommodate future growth.

It looks like Mohegan Sun & Foxwoods are not taking the additional gaming & resort options in New England lightly. Plans to the future are already on the drawing board, being built or already in place.

That's all for now. One of the best ways to beat the heat of CT's first heat wave of 2013 is to make some royal flush heat of your own in the coolness of the casino. Remember:

1. only BRING the amount of money you can afford to bring
2. people watching doesn't cost money, (but please check out my posts on casino etiquette first), and
3. only SPEND the amount of money you can afford to spend!

Binbin

Foxwoods Friday

FOXWOODS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH MARSHALL RETAIL GROUP TO ADD FLARE TO RETAIL OFFERINGS

Foxwoods Resort Casino and Marshall Retail Group proudly announce a long-term partnership that will bring three upscale boutiques and specialty stores to Foxwoods.

“The retail offerings of Marshall Retail Group are the perfect addition to the modern, stylish vibe of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods hotel at our resort destination,” said Vice President of Retail & Development Operations, Annette DeBois. “The stores will offer our guests with not only high-fashion and fun, but also the high-quality products and professional service that Marshall Retail Group is known for nationally. It is truly the perfect fit for us here at Foxwoods.”

The three new exclusive stores will include Carina, Misura and LICK. All three are schedule to open in mid-June. The stores will occupy the space that previously housed Pandora - which relocated to the concourse at Grand Pequot Tower - and both Panache locations, along with other previously undeveloped space. Here's a preview of the new stores:

• Carina is an upscale boutique, offering a discriminating selection of fashions from some of the most sought-after designers in contemporary women’s fashion like Joseph Ribkoff, Miss Me, Alberto Makali and many others. Carina also presents a fabulous selection of shoes, designer sunglasses, handbags and jewelry.
• For the man with impeccable taste Misura, - a fine apparel boutique specializing in fun fashion and classic casual - offers a remarkable selection of clothing, shoes and accessories from some of the most desired designers in men’s fashion, including Hugo Boss, Rock Revival, Affliction, True Religion, Roar, Tommy Bahama, and Donald Pliner.
• LICK, the ultimate candy shop, has everything from confectionary classics to decadent modern creations, sure to satisfy adults and kids of all ages. With something, or perhaps everything, for even the most discerning sweet tooth, LICK boasts candies and souvenir novelties from around the world, all wrapped in a fun, contemporary and interactive environment to delight both the young and young at heart.

“Marshall Retail Group is excited to join forces with Foxwoods Resort Casino,” said Marshall Retail Group President & CEO, Michael C. Wilkins. “As America’s largest independent specialty retailer in the casino-resort marketplace, it made sense for us to work with North America’s largest casino. We feel that collectively we will provide guests at Foxwoods with an elevated experience each and every time they visit.”

Together Foxwoods Resort Casino and Marshall Retail Group are planning a gala Grand Opening celebration for mid-June. More details will be available at foxwoods.com.

Nice addition. And remember Foxwoods -MGM will be adding the Tanger outlets.

That's all for now.

Binbin

Foxwoods Friday

A high-level executive leaves Foxwoods Resort Casino
Todd Greenberg, Foxwoods' chief operating officer, has left "to pursue other interests," Scott Butera, Foxwoods' president and chief executive officer, said Monday in a message to other Foxwoods executives, while a Mohegan Sun spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday that Brian Bork, Mohegan Sun's chief marketing officer, had recently decided to leave the Uncasville casino.

"We have devised a strong interim plan for the departments directly affected by this change. …" Butera said of Greenberg's leaving. "Please know that we remain keenly focused on our vision for the success of Foxwoods."

Foxwoods is reorganizing its workforce, a process that involves the elimination of an unspecified number of jobs.

Greenberg was elevated to the COO's position in August 2011, six months after his hiring as senior vice president, a post in which he oversaw the Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise's gaming operations. The tribal enterprise operates Foxwoods, including MGM Grand at Foxwoods.

Outlets? Where?
When Foxwoods announced the building of The Premier Outlet Shoppes at Foxwoods, a new $100 million-plus luxury retail outlet center, I just didn't ask the question - WHERE? Construction of the 320,000-square-foot center — with its 85 luxury outlets and a retractable roof for seasonable outdoor shopping — is set to begin this spring. I found this artists rendering in an archived article from the Boston Herald:


I believe the white "U" shaped building is where it will be built. From right to left, you have the MGM parking garage, the hotel tower, the casino, and in the upper left hand corner you can see the connecting hallway to Foxwoods.

That's all for now.

Binbin