Tuesday, June 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
Boy howdy!
The American Music Grill, Country Star Las Vegas will open on the Strip July 1 with a star-studded gala. The stars include Vince Gill, Reba McIntyre, Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase.
The list goes on.
Tracy Lawrence, Travis Tritt, Billy Dean, Linda Davis and Lee Roy Parnell, whose band is expected to back an all-star jam session are coming -- and more.
Las Vegas VIPs and Hollywood stars will also get the red-carpet treatment, with klieg lights, celebrity interviews, bleachers full of fans and pyrotechnics.
Country Star has even received permission from the Nevada Department of Transportation to close down two lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard South to make sure everyone arrives safely.
There's good reason for all the excitement, according to Chairman and CEO Robert Schuster.
"This has been three years in the making and we're really pleased. We think Vegas will be the window where people understand the concept of what we're doing. This will give us world visibility," he said.
The 22,000-square-foot themed restaurant is at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue. It should get additional exposure in the months ahead, nestled near mega-resorts Monte Carlo, Bellagio and New York-New York.
The restaurant seats 550 and is the second American Music Grill to open.
The first was American Music Grill, Country Star Hollywood at the Universal CityWalk next to Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in August 1994.
A third, American Music Grill, Country Star Atlanta is expected to open July 4 in the upscale Buckhead section of the city.
But the new Las Vegas restaurant ended up in a different place than expected.
In 1993, Schuster bought 2.7 acres on Flamingo and Paradise roads.
"I'd been looking for a site in Vegas since 1992," Schuster said. "We sold the land about 1 1/2 years later and made $800,000. Because of the strength of the concept, we were able to lease an incredible spot on the Strip."
"We were offered the opportunity to be in some of the new hotels, but our flag on the Strip will enhance our investment credibility."
Which isn't suffering, by the way.
Country Star Restaurants Inc. went public in December 1993. It came out at $12 and raised about $43 million. That stock (Nasdaq: CAFE) is worth about $25 now.
The goal is to keep going. Plans call for a syndicated country radio program broadcast from Hollywood, Las Vegas and Atlanta, which should pave the way for new restaurants in new cities.
"We're looking to open one a quarter domestically and two internationally," Schuster said.
Schuster said the concept of a contemporary country-themed restaurant with good food and entertainment, catering to locals as well as tourists is American Music Grill's key to success.
"People come because of the food -- all-American steak and barbeque. The overlay is entertainment," he said, adding that his is not the stereotypical hay bales and sawdust country-themed restaurant.
Terazzo and carpeted floors rule. There are more than 100 video monitors, interactive video kiosks, CD listening stations and a stage.
Country Star Las Vegas will have a Patsy Kline exhibit featuring a dress left with a dressmaker before Kline's fatal plane accident, and an Elvis Presley room.
"We've raised the paradigm. My commitment is, first and foremost, a restaurant with great food. It's real important to us not to lose the local traffic and we're only going to do that if they like eating here. And I guarantee they will. Plus, they're going to be able to drive right into our parking lot from Harmon. We'll be treating the locals as honored guests," he said.
Schuster is no stranger to the nuances of entertainment.
Raised in Wisconsin working in his father's boat-themed restaurant, he went on to law school.
In the late '60s, he worked for the Department of Defense for about a year and then became a business partner with Albert Grossman, managing the likes of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and Gordon Lightfoot.
Then it was on to multimillion-dollar book deals -- including one by The Judds.
He saw the connection.
"Country Star restaurants have concerts, entertainment, fun and good food. It's a true American experience and our customers love it," he said. "And Country Star Las Vegas has already attracted a lot of attention."
archive
