It wouldn’t have been uncommon to see Frank Sinatra and some of his friends drinking at the Stage Door following one of his Las Vegas performances.
The Stage Door, which sits across from Bally’s at the corner of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane, normally features a fully functioning casino and bar. But those, of course, are closed until further notice with a statewide shutdown of nonessential business out of coronavirus concerns.
But there’s more to the Stage Door than its claim as a legendary resort-corridor watering hole. It also contains a grocery store—and that secret gem has remained open. Its primary clientele has become construction workers, for whom it also offers a paycheck-cashing service.
“We thought about closing the store but kept it open, as it’s important for people in the area to get groceries and things,” said Randy Markin, one of the owners of the Stage Door.
Given the recent panic-buying at markets across the Valley because of uncertainty over the pandemic, it’s been common for consumers to wait in long lines or call ahead to see if a store has essentials like toilet paper. At the Stage Door, it’s a bit different. On a recent weekday afternoon, the store’s shelves were fully stocked with everything from cases of bottled water to canned food items.
Regular customer Chris “Cowboy” Amack said store employees even reached out to him last month to check in. “They’re so good to the people who are good to them; they wanted to make sure we were doing all right,” Amack said. “They know I have kids. They wanted to make sure I had water and toilet paper. They were ordering whole chickens and took a food order for me. It’s that kind of service that makes the place special.”
A longtime local iron worker, Amack said the Stage Door is the kind of place where locals and tourists have always been able to mesh into one, big, Vegas-loving crowd.
“It’s kind of an institution in this town,” Amack said. “It’s a hangout for those of us in construction or the service industry. They take care of millions of tourists, too, but they always remember the locals.”
Randy Markin’s father, Ron, moved to Las Vegas with his three children in 1958 to work in the Fremont gift shop. Ron Markin would go on to own the old Bali Hai Hotel before selling it to Howard Hughes. In 1976, he opened the Stage Door, calling it that because the stage door exit for the old MGM Grand faced Flamingo Road.
“We are the last of what Vegas used to be,” Randy Markin said. “Our customers continue to come back, because they know they get value for their money. We will be back when business permits, and our customers know that Stage Door Casino will be their place to enjoy ‘old Vegas.’ ”
John Vizcarra, the Stage Door’s director of operations, said it was a sad occasion to have to close the casino and bar, normally open around the clock. Gov. Steve Sisolak initially gave the order to close nonessential businesses until April 18, and on April 1 extended the shutdown through the end of the month.
“We did a last call for alcohol for the first time ever at our bar,” Vizcarra said. “The market, though, is still open. We’re not Smith’s, but we have bread and milk and eggs and toilet paper and refreshments. We haven’t been hit by any of the hoarding. Everyone who comes in is very respectful. They just buy what they need. They’re not buying 46 rolls of toilet paper just because we have it. We’ve seen a more positive side of people, I think.”
Even though they can’t gamble or have a drink, Stage Door regulars have been popping into the store, Vizcarra said, to shop and perhaps to see some familiar faces.
“Construction workers have really rallied to support us and make sure they’re buying their essentials from us,” Vizcarra said. “It’s nice to have that loyalty. We have guys coming in from the Resorts World [project] and from Caesars and [Allegiant] Stadium. We’ve always been a union establishment. A lot of those iron workers and carpenters and tradesmen, they’ve been with us for years.”
And Randy Markin expects the full Stage Door operation to carry on when the coronavirus crisis has ended. “We’ve made it through 9/11 and multiple recessions—we will be back strong as ever.”
Amack is also looking ahead, to what he believes will be a robust Las Vegas comeback. And he can’t wait to once again spend time at his favorite bar.
“The people at Stage Door, when you’re a part of that circle, you’re part of a family,” Amack said. “That’s how Las Vegas has survived so well over the years. One wheel greases the other.”