Designers Say Amenities “Reflect Character and Class of Pittsburgh”

PITTSBURGH: Today the Rivers Casino officially unveiled the looks, logos and color schemes of eight of their dining and drinking establishments at a 1:00 PM press conference at their office.  Detailing why names and color schemes were selected and how they fit in with the overall vision of the Rivers were representatives of the Geary Company, the Rivers’ advertising and branding firm.  The release of the amenities’ details comes less than 45 days before the Rivers is expected to open on August 9th.

“The Rivers Casino will be a world-class entertainment option for Pittsburgh, featuring exciting and distinctive dining and lounge options,” said Ed Fasulo, the Rivers president and Chief Operating Officer.  “We wanted to incorporate some interesting and historical items from the city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding area as much as we could into the naming of our venues.”

The Geary Company, which leads the Rivers branding and advertising campaigns, has over 30 years of advertising experience and works with some of the country’s largest and most successful gaming companies.  The Geary Company was selected as the Rivers lead advertising firm in January following a competitive bidding process.  Founded in 1969, the family owned advertising company’s first client was Elvis Presley.

“Our goal was not only to convey the character of each of the amenities in the Rivers, but to really reflect the character and class of Pittsburgh,” said Jim McKusick, president of The Geary Company.  “We have worked with many successful gaming and entertainment venues and knew right away that Rivers Casino was something special not just because of its location – which is one of the best in the country – but also because of the many world-class amenities its offers guests.”

When complete, the Rivers will be a 400,000 square foot entertainment facility with 3,000 slot machines, four dining options and four bars and lounges.  The food and beverage options announced today are:

Andrews Steakhouse: Named after the many famous Andrews from Pittsburgh – Carnegie, Mellon, Warhol – the Andrews Steakhouse is a fine dining, contemporary steak and fresh seafood restaurant.  The restaurant will have a lounge featuring the finest single malt whiskeys and an extensive wine selection.

Ciao: A casual dining option, Ciao will feature on-the-go sandwiches and salads and offer rich desserts like gelato, Italian ice, muffins, cookies and much more.

Drum Bar: Named to reflect the circular shape and design of the venue, featuring a 76Ft. tall chandelier type light fixture that emanates animated colors and lights throughout the area. With Spectacular views of the River & Mt. Washington.

Grandview Buffet: A casino staple, the all-you-can-eat Grandview Buffet will feature seven stations – including Italian, Asian, and barbeque – for lunch and dinner.  Located on the 2nd floor, with magnificent views of the Pointe and cityscape.

Levels: Rivers guests will be able to look over the gaming floor and view all the action at the multi-tiered Levels lounge in the center of the casino.

Spiral Bar: Located in the middle of the casino floor, the Spirals Bar is where guests can enjoy their favorite drink, sit back and relax or play some video poker.

West End Cafe: A casual Italian restaurant, the West End Café will feature a wide variety of unique sandwiches, signature pizzas and traditional bar food.

Wheelhouse: A Sports bar venue with numerous wide screen HD TV’s, an entertainment stage and accommodations to broadcast live Pre and Post Game shows from FSN.

In addition to the dining and drinking options at the casino, the Rivers will also have an amphitheater, a boat dock and riverfront paths located on the North Shore.  To date, 700 jobs of the more than 1,000 permanent jobs available have been filled with the remainder to be filled before opening day.

In addition to the new jobs the Rivers will bring to Pittsburgh, the project will also generate substantial tax revenues for the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Over its first five years of operation, the Rivers will generate approximately $1.1 billion for the state in new taxes and assessments and approximately $98 million for the City and County.

About the Rivers Casino

The Rivers Casino is a joint venture between Walton Street Capital, High Pitt Gaming and Don Barden.  Neil Bluhm, the Founding Principal of Walton Street Capital, has over four decades of experience developing commercial, residential and gaming properties.  Greg Carlin, the CEO of High Pitt Gaming, LLC, has over a decade of gaming investment and management experience.  Other casino projects owned and managed by Mr. Bluhm and Mr. Carlin include the Fallsview Casino Resort in Ontario, the Riverwalk Casino & Hotel in Vicksburg, MS, and the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia.