Ringo’s hopes to open casino in November

A former buffet restaurant on East Sprague has been reborn as a restaurant and casino.

The restaurant and bar portion of Ringo’s Little Vegas Casino has been open for the past few weeks. “Phase two will be when the casino opens,” said owner Linda Schaefer. “That phase will open, hopefully, in November.”

The restaurant boasts a full menu that includes everything from prime rib to steak to pizza. “We’re trying to hit on the homemade,” she said. “You know, the real mashed potatoes and homemade gravy. All the soups are homemade.”

The restaurant is currently open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays, when breakfast is served all day.

Schaefer and her husband, Tom, are leasing the building at 11420 E. Sprague Ave. Tom Schaefer is the business’ general manager. The couple have been doing an extensive remodel of the building. “We have totally refurbished it inside and out,” she said. “The building is now tan; we’ve got landscaping done. On the inside we tore out everything. We even tore out some walls. We’ve got new carpet. It’s just really beautiful.”

Schaefer said she’s not worried about competition from the other casinos that dot East Sprague. “Even now we have probably a dozen people a day come in just to see if the casino is open. We’re offering really great service, a friendly atmosphere and really wonderful food. The combination of all those things should be a great draw.”

The casino will include a 15-table card room dealing everything from poker to blackjack to Texas Shoot Out.

The business currently employs 25 people. After the casino opens the restaurant will be open 24 hours a day while state law requires the casino to shut down for four hours every day. Once the casino is open from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. the business will employ up to 150 people, Schaefer said.