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Positioning equipment and supplies in this fine-dining restaurant's kitchens so most of the preparation and cooking is on stage required a creative layout, imaginative restructuring of duct work and efficient use of storage space.
The Western Door: A Seneca Steakhouse is by no means the nation's first fine-dining restaurant specializing in the highest quality steaks and seafood money can buy. Therefore, its owners and designers were determined to distinguish this restaurant from its predecessors and other greater-Buffalo, N.Y., establishments attracting customers who prefer an upscale dining experience.
"We had to develop our own unique standards for menu preparation and service to set us apart from our competitors," states David Kopasz, vice president of food and beverage for the Seneca Niagara Casino. "We wanted to appeal to both local and well-traveled international guests by giving them the best dining experience they've ever had."
Essential to the "best" experience is viewing the steakhouse's culinary crew as they perform their craft in a 900-square-foot exhibition-style kitchen. "We wanted the kitchen to be in the dining area so guests could see the quality of the fresh ingredients - everything is on display including meats and seafood - the professionalism of the staff and the cleanliness of the operation," Kopasz adds.
Built in what was a convention center, Seneca Niagara Casino opened Dec. 31, 2002. At the time, the facility offered gaming, a 400-seat buffet, a 175-seat casual sports pub, two counter-service snack bars and an employee dining room. The Western Door: A Seneca Steakhouse opened in May 2004. These facilities are but a small part of a multi-million-dollar project that includes the opening in late 2005 of an adjoining spa hotel and casino with 604 rooms and suites, a 200-seat café open 24-hours a day, a 70-seat Asian restaurant, a 120-seat Italian restaurant, a gourmet market deli, casino bar, lobby lounge, 24-hour room service, and 30,000-square-feet of banquet/multipurpose rooms. Plans for a second casino hotel property are underway near Allegany.
Guests access The Western Door: A Seneca Steakhouse through a lobby furnished with comfortable seating, a handpainted ceiling, wine library and dramatic lighting. Behind a granite-top counter at the wine bar are two countertop refrigerated display cases for white wines and two for reds. Together, they hold...