Back In The Saddle

Gilley's is riding back to the Strip next month after a three-year absence, although it will be joining a whole herd of other country and western entertainment spots offering mechanical bull rides this time.

During its 8½-year run as the star attraction at the New Frontier, ending with the hotel's demolition in July 2007, Gilley's had the only mechanical bull on the Strip. It was one of just a couple venues in town that had one.

The new club at Treasure Island will face competition from about a half dozen country and western clubs that have since opened with mechanical bulls.

In addition, Gilley's April 16 opening will mark another step in Treasure Island's changing focus since it was purchased by Phil Ruffin a year ago. Aimed at a hip, younger clientele during its ownership by MGM Mirage, including a rebranding as "ti," the casino is now moving toward the middle market.

"We're saying that it's cross generational," Michelle Knoll, senior vice president of marketing at Treasure Island, said of Gilley's appeal. "Gilley's has such a phenomenal brand equity that it's a must-see attraction for a lot of people. We don't like to think of it as limited to any demographic shift."

She also noted the spreading popularity of country and western music, as evidenced by Steve Wynn signing Garth Brooks as a headliner at Wynn Las Vegas and the big boost in spending every December when the National Finals Rodeo championships come to town.

To ensure Strip strollers don't miss the point, part of Gilley's will face the Strip, looking like a porch with a corrugated tin roof and sides built into the faux rock and castle facade of the resort's pirate show. Covering 10,000 square feet, Gilley's will replace the Mist nightclub and the upscale Francesco's Italian restaurant, a longtime fixture at the resort.

To Robert Casillas, president of the consulting firm Monsoon Group of Las Vegas, Gilley's and its rivals exemplify the way the recession has forced club owners to switch their strategies from selling $400 bottles of liquor to selling yard-long drinks.

"The megaclubs are having problems for the first time in their history," he said. "I think the mechanical bulls go back to the common man concept. When you say mechanical bull, you are saying unpretentious, a place you can walk into in a T-shirt and have a beer."

As a result, several clubs with mechanical bulls have jumped into the market since the first Gilley's closed, including one near South Point run by Harold "Stoney" Gray, who is opening a second one later this month. Already here also are the Revolver in Santa Fe Station and Cadillac Ranch at Town Square. PBR Rock Bar at Planet Hollywood will open at an unspecified date this year as a venture between the Professional Bull Riders, a rodeo sanctioning group, and Fine Entertainment.

Toby Keith's at Harrah's plays country music and serves drinks from a guitar-shaped bar, but never installed a bull.

While country and western may be enjoying a surge in popularity, some in the industry question whether there is enough to support all the new clubs.

"If you look at country and western demographics, it is a very small subset of the market, and some very large players are going after it," said Charles Tramont, the general manager of Dillon's Roadhouse, a fixture on Boulder Highway for 17 years. "There will be carnage."

Gray also foresees a shakeout at some point.

"There's going to be winners and losers in an epic battle of country proportions," he said.

Gilley's starts out with the biggest name, having risen to national prominence three decades ago thanks to the movie "Urban Cowboy." But it has also gone through a three-year hibernation until Ruffin, who owns the rights to the Gilley's brand in Nevada, found a new venue for it.

"Obviously, Gilley's had a good run but I think it has lost some of its appeal," said Gray, who managed the original Gilley's for seven years.

Tramont, on the other hand, expects Gilley's to be very successful.

"The Gilley's name has great positioning," he said.

Plans call for opening for lunch and serving food until 8 p.m. In February, Gilley's hired approximately 100 people who will staff it.

Contact reporter Tim O'Reiley at toreiley@lvbusinesspress.com or 702-387-5290.