Las Vegas never slows down.
It’s an expensive place to do business where land costs a fortune, so if a venue isn’t working, it’s not likely to last very long.
That’s why even famous restaurants have shelf lives. Caesars Entertainment (CZR) – Get Free Report, for example, lost both Rao’s and the Old Homestead Steakhouse — two legendary New York City names — in the past couple of years.
Sin City has also seen legendary venues like the Las Vegas Strip’s Hawaiian Marketplace get demolished in favor of building a modern shopping center.
Las Vegas will also soon see the iconic Mirage Volcano close for good, and two longstanding casinos, the Tropicana and Casino Royale, are entering their final days.
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In all those cases, however, the end was not sudden. Rao’s and Old Homestead knew their final days well in advance and fans of both got a chance to have a final meal there.
The same was true of Hawaiian Marketplace and both the Tropicana and the Mirage Volcano, each of which is in an extended long goodbye where the end is certain but the final day remains unknown.
Las Vegas may be a city of perpetual changes, but it’s also an oddly nostalgic one. Many venues and restaurants close each year — including some really big ones — but there’s usually a chance to say goodbye.
That’s not what happened at one well-loved Las Vegas venue, which shut down suddenly with little being said.
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The Rio recently changed owners.
Image source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Duomo at the Rio closes unexpectedly
Dreamscape took over operations of the off-Strip Rio in October from Caesars. The company plans to renovate the all-suite hotel and it appears to have one more venue space that it has to fill.
Duomo, a music venue that’s connected to a classic arcade, appears to have shut down.
When you click on the ticket-sales link for the venue’s remaining shows — The Chi-Lites, Khoree the Poet, and Exxcite: The Show — all are shown as canceled. In addition, Duomo’s website shows “no upcoming shows.”
“This is a sign the showroom is finished with live entertainment,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
“But Damian Costa of Pompey Entertainment was not available late Monday night to confirm the status of the Duomo showroom, which connected Cupola Cafe and an ’80s-fashioned video arcade.”
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The Facebook page for the venue has been dormant since Oct. 17. Duomo first opened in June 2022. The company called the space “Vegas’s sexiest rock venue.”
“The Duomo, located inside of the iconic Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino features a classy and sociable rock and roll environment that provides the perfect setting for music-loving showgoers,” the company said on its website.
“The Duomo features a 300-seat live music theater, nostalgic arcade, art exhibit, and a fast-casual dining Italian restaurant, Cupola Café, featuring a menu designed by celebrity chef Mimmo Ferraro.”
Rio undergoing major renovations
Rio’s new owner plans a $550 million renovation of the property. The property won’t close during the work, which Dreamscape in a news release called a “reimagining” of Rio’s two-tower structure, “restoring it into a premiere resort and casino experience with modernized amenities and an array of offerings that speak to today’s gaming and hospitality consumer.”
The property’s website makes clear that rooms are being remodeled while the property still operates. Penn & Teller continue to be the headline performers at the venue, and that’s not expected to change.
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Rio’s new owners have been a little vague about their plans for the property.
“We are passionate about creating dynamic lifestyle experiences. I strongly believe that with our team’s unique development capabilities, investment acumen, and deep operating expertise, we are poised to become a differentiated player within this space,” Dreamscape Chief Executive Eric Birnbaum said in a statement.
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