Casino to add new features - Poker room to move to Half Dome Theatre; cantina to open

The Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in Coarsegold will unveil a new Mexican cantina and a new location for its poker room in September, casino officials announced.

The 3 Peaks Poker Room, now housed in the Firehouse Blues bar area, will move into what was formerly the Half Dome Theatre, while the Firehouse Blues will soon become the Casa de Fuego Mexican cantina and restaurant.

Elaine McFarland, Chukchansi entertainment manager, said a grand opening for Casa de Fuego, which will also feature live music, is slated for Sept. 15, while the grand opening for the poker room is set for Sept. 16.

The cantina grand opening will begin at 11 a.m., with the poker room grand opening kicking off at noon a day later.

John Stacy, assistant general manager and vice-president of casino operations, said the poker room is tentatively scheduled for an early opening during Labor Day weekend.

Stacy also added that The Bakery, now located on the casino's main floor, will be relocated in the future to the 3 Peaks Poker Room.

A bar is also scheduled to be featured in the poker room.

In July, casino officials announced a joint-partnership with the Fresno Grizzlies AAA baseball organization to offer a series of year-round concerts at the 16,000-capacity Grizzlies Stadium in downtown Fresno, beginning with Toby Keith Sept. 14.

Since its opening in 2003, Chukchansi Gold had offered consistent concerts in the 1,100-capacity Half Dome Theatre. The last musical concert was Clay Walker on May 28.

"It is a different market," McFarland said at the time of the announced partnership. "We will be able to host bigger acts at the stadium than we are able to at Chukchansi."

Chukchansi is in the process of a phase-two expansion of the casino, which is scheduled to include a parking garage, 200 more rooms, indoor/outdoor pool, a spa facility and an activity area for children.

Stacy said the parking garage should be completed by the end of this year, while the rooms, pool and spa and children area should be completed by the end of next summer.

McFarland said the expansion is the main reason for the elimination of concerts in the Half Dome Theatre.

"Because of displaced slot machines and expansion, we had to utilize the Half Dome Theatre for gaming." she said.

McFarland added that a new event center, one larger than the Half Dome Theatre, may be a part of a possible phase-three expansion at the casino, although no plans have been finalized.

"There are not definite plans for a phase three at this time," Stacy said.