The $800 million Caesars Virginia casino resort, opening next month, is going to be unlike anything the Danville region has ever seen in terms of quality and design, said local developer Rick Barker.
Part of the resort’s food hall, however, will look familiar to locals, he said.
Three restaurants will open with the casino in a portion of the food hall that is being branded as “The 500 Block,” a reference to a block of Craghead Street in Danville’s River District.
Barker, who is largely credited with redeveloping the 500 block of Craghead Street, and his business partner Steve Parry, will deliver these local restaurants. Once open, Parry’s restaurant group will manage them.
The 500 Block inside the casino will adopt the River District’s architecture, Barker said.
“We’re building three two-story buildings in the middle of the casino,” he said. “It’ll look like it belongs downtown. Red brick, a lot of metal industrial beams, great signage, great lighting.”
Barker said he hopes that this will not only be recognizable to residents but also inspire out-of-towners to check out the actual 500 block of Craghead Street, which he called the “visual manifestation of Danville as a comeback city,” and the rest of the River District.
Barker has been credited with the significant redevelopment of Craghead Street, which was a strip of empty storefronts about a decade ago. Now, there are restaurants, apartments, a brewery and a science center.
“If you’re from out of state, you won’t know the reference to downtown Craghead Street, but it will probably make you curious to go explore,” Barker said.
The three restaurants will also provide a distinctly local experience, he said.
The Burger Mill and Southern Slices, hamburger and pizza eateries, respectively, are brand new restaurants. And Garage Artisan Smoked Meats, a barbecue restaurant previously located on Craghead Street, will relocate into the casino.
“I find it impressive that Caesars Entertainment, beyond satisfying its core resorts mission, desires to provide guests with an authentic Southern Virginia experience,” Barker said. 
Executing the vision
When Caesars was selected to operate the casino in Danville, it promised to prioritize a mutually beneficial relationship with the community.
“Caesars said they would make an effort to work with local businesses and put them in their supply chain,” Barker said. “To their credit, they are making good on that commitment. They have even had seminars to teach local businesses how to sell to them.”
Caesars approached Barker and a few others about a restaurant opportunity about two years ago, he said. Barker and Parry have partnered together in the past to open the Garage and Mucho, a taco and tequila bar, both on Craghead Street.
It was actually Caesars’ suggestion to adopt the River District architecture inside the casino.
“The idea evolved that they want to give their patrons a Southern Virginia experience, which means the environment shouldn’t look like Atlantic City,” Barker said.
Marnell Companies, a Las Vegas-based architectural and design firm, is executing this vision.
The conversations about design have been similar to Barker’s thought process when he redevelops a River District building, he said.
“You start out with an antique, and you have to modify it somehow to make it useful today,” Barker said. “The question is, how much older and how much modern? Where is that line to make it work?”
The 500 Block inside the casino has struck that balance, he said.
“It’s really easy to do a cheesy rip-off of some design, and that’s not this,” he said. “We have something that is appropriate and belongs in this modern dynamic environment while paying respect to the mill community from which it comes … especially because the casino will literally be sitting on a former mill site.”
Restaurants already seeking staffing
The three restaurants will create a total of about 40 jobs, intended for area locals.
Barker said that he and Parry have plans for avoiding nationwide staffing and turnover challenges.
“You have to narrow your offering,” he said. “You have to make the execution simpler.”
For example, at Southern Slices, Barker and Parry have invested in high-tech pizza ovens that can cook multiple pies at the same time, automatically calculating the correct temperature and time for each one based on weight.
“It’s designed to reduce the labor,” Barker said. “You don’t need to be a professional chef. A high school student can do this, assuming they can drop toppings.”
The ovens are over $50,000 a piece, he said, but the advanced technology reduces labor costs and allows for consistent service — something that is important in an entertainment venue.
“There will be a large population on site, and often they’ll be in a hurry,” Barker said. “Imagine a 2,500-seat theater that has an intermission, and 400 people want a slice of pizza before they go back … it’s about high quality, delivered as quickly as possible to complement the other activity.”
The three restaurants will have a variety of seating, including community tables, high-tops, and even places to stand and eat, totaling about 120 seats.
Barker said he hopes residents feel a local pride in this portion of the casino resort especially.
“It doesn’t look like everything was imported,” he said. “It’s not one of the slickest things in Vegas right now. It’s a homegrown brand.”
Those interested in applying for restaurant jobs should contact eat@500blockva.com or call 804-845-2750.
