Hard Rock Cincinnati's president: Here's what's coming to the casino
Justin Wyborn moved to Cincinnati from Fort Lauderdale in February to become the new president of Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati.
He already has big plans to draw more patrons, which include updated gaming and a priority on entertainment. Expect more concerts to be added to the summer lineup in the coming weeks, Wyborn said.
The long-planned Hard Rock Cincinnati hotel is still part of the plan but is paused for the moment while Wyborn assesses the market.
Wyborn sat down with The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati podcast" to talk about the Downtown casino and his first impressions of Cincinnati. (Hint: He loves Cincinnati so far.)
Wyborn said it's been six-day work weeks so far, but said he spends his off days exploring the city.
"This city really has everything," Wyborn said. "I've been talking with a lot of my friends back home in Fort Lauderdale and down in Florida and I'm telling them this really is a little hidden gem of a city. You don't really hear that much about Cincinnati, but when you come up here, it has so much to offer. It is mindblowing. So I'm super excited to be a part of this incredible city."
What Wyborn had to say:
Bringing people in the door
"My priority is really to just drive guests back to the property again, just to see what Hard Rock is and what we've achieved. It really is a Vegas-style casino."
A Hard Rock hotel? Not now, but someday
"We've been in development for a hotel. We're looking at plans and that's definitely a part of the future. I just can't commit to dates just yet. I'm really just getting my arms around the rest of the business right now. But it's definitely an area of opportunity for us. Once I understand a little bit more about the market and understand more about the business and all the other different areas, the competitive zones that we have, then I'll be able to comment on where we're going to take it from there."
New slot machines coming
"When it comes to what we're doing in the casino, we're really reinvesting in a lot of our slot product. We're investing in our high-limit areas at the same time too." The goal, Wyborn said, "is to get guests to drive that trip and to come and check us out. Over the next few months, you'll start seeing a lot of changes, but good changes to the actual casino."
Listen to Justin Wyborn's full conversation with "That's So Cincinnati" for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Media and other podcast listening platforms.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hard Rock Cincinnati hotel still in the plans
