Executive View Q & A
Executive View Q & A
Q & A with Bruce Howard, general manager, Valley View Casino
Bruce Howard is the general manager of the Valley View Casino, near San Diego, Calif. and owned by the San Pasqual Tribe of Mission Indians. After starting out in the restaurant business, Howard moved to Las Vegas in 1985 and entered the gaming business as director of room service for Caesars Palace. There he moved into deeper roles with food and beverage departments. By 1995, he moved into more executive positions, first as director of operations at Players International's property in Lake Charles, La. Four years later, he returned to the Las Vegas Strip to take on other management roles with Bally's, Paris Las Vegas and the Aladdin. In 2002, he got his first opportunity to help open a property with the Ameristar St. Charles facility in Missouri. There, he served as assistant general manager. But a combination of missing the West Coast and knowing Valley View's then-general manager Rick Richards led Howard and his family to San Diego. "He asked me if I would come to San Diego in March of 2003 to be the vice president of operations. About eight months later, Rick went back to Las Vegas, and I've been the general manager ever since December of 2003. It's been a tremendous experience. I've worked with some of the greatest people in the world and I've learned from the best. And Valley View has afforded me the greatest opportunity of my life," Howard said, speaking to Casino Journal contributing writer Regina Lafay during a recent interview in which he discusses the San Diego market, his management philosophies and Valley View's current expansion plans.
The Valley View Casino has recently gotten underway with a significant expansion plan. For the benefit of our readers, can you share the details of those plans?
Absolutely. We're building a new parking facility with 1,200 covered spaces which we will have open Thanksgiving of this year. Then in April of 2007, we will be opening our new casino with 1,300 slot machines, 10 table games, our new buffet will open on a temporary basis in our events center, and a brand new steakhouse. We'll also be opening our new players club, our new VIP lounge, and we'll be introducing two bars-one in our new steakhouse and one bar in our non-smoking area. Our non-smoking slot area has become very popular, and we wanted to give those guests a chance to have their own bar in a non-smoking environment.
Then in October of 2007, we'll finish our expansion with the opening of four more restaurants. One will be our permanent buffet, which-as many of the readers may know-we just won the best buffet in Southern California for our existing buffet. In addition to that we'll have our 24-hour dining venue with American and Asian cuisine, we'll have our own ice cream shop and our own coffee and pastry shop. We also will have a new team dining room. We put a lot of emphasis on where our team members eat. We're really excited about all of this.
There's no hotel planned for Valley View. Why that decision?
We're going to open with all the amenities I mentioned, and we'll see how that goes for the next couple of years. If it looks like it's needed, we'll go back to the owners, the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, and we may very well move into the hotel phase. If the business is there, which I certainly think it will be, we may very well be talking again in three or four years about new expansions. The Southern California gaming market is very healthy and our guests are very loyal.
I'm assuming because of the expansion plans, business at your property has been good. Would you say the San Diego market has outperformed or underperformed your expectations?
It's met and exceeded my expectations. I've been very fortunate to be in gaming markets all over the country, having spent 15 years in Las Vegas, Nev., then some time in Lake Charles, La., Mesquite, Nev., St. Louis, Mo., and now a little over three and half years in Southern California. The market is tremendous, the quality of people in San Diego is tremendous, the gaming knowledge is here, we have a loyal base of guests. Our average guest visits us about 50 times a year. Almost once a week we are fortunate enough to be visited by our guests. The market is still young. The gaming compact that we signed started in 1999, so the whole compact is just seven years old. The market is growing, and our guests feel they're getting the same experience that they would get in Vegas without having to drive 300 miles. The quality of the restaurants is second-to-none. The guest service is as good as anywhere I've been. Our 700 team members are phenomenal and do a fantastic job of making the guests feel at home.
With many Indian casinos expanding, how did Valley View position itself to compete in the market?
We compete against eight California casinos. We've positioned ourselves with personal service. We pride ourselves on 12 guest interactions. Each guest meets up with 12 team members, and we put a big emphasis on the quality of those interactions-everything from eye contact to sincerity to, obviously, the latest and greatest slot equipment. We have a phenomenal vice president of slot operations, Randy Reedy. We offer the most value in the slot world. We were the only Southern California casino certified loose by Strictly Slots, so we believe we give the gaming patron the most value for their slot dollar. We have a fantastic emphasis on food. Our vice president of food and beverage, Anthony Matthews, spent a lot of time at Bellagio and the Aladdin. Our director of table games, Mike Tansley, came from New York-New York where customer service is always a top priority. We've niched ourselves as the casino where everybody knows your name. For us it really is about those 12 interactions when you come to Valley View.
Can you give some examples of these interactions?
The interactions that we talk about are everything, from when you drive up to our free valet we open your car doors for you, when you enter our casino a security officer is there to greet you, and there's interactions from everyone in our slot department and table games. The interaction with our great players club team, the cage personnel are very friendly and always have a smile. We have great food and beverage folks, bartenders and even our chefs come out to the dining room to meet the guests. We have calculated over the years that every guest meets up with 12 representatives of Valley View. We make those interactions as positive and personal as they can be and a reason for the guests to come back. Most of our guests know everybody in the building by their first name.
How would you define your leadership style as general manager?
I've been given a lot of great opportunities, and now it's my turn to give opportunities to other people here. I think my style starts with hiring good people who maybe don't have all the technical skills, though I think most do. We have a saying in our company that a person is defined 80 percent by their people skills and 20 percent by their technical skills. I find good people, give them an opportunity and guide them along so that they can expand their wings. We have a lot of day-one people, and we're very proud of that. I've also been able to bring in some of the best people I've worked with around the country.
My style is a team-oriented style. I sit on a group of 24 members of our operations committee. We try to make group decisions and get the opinions of everybody, not just the head of the departments. All 24 of us guide the company. I believe any of those 24 could easily lead as well as I do. I know that when I have all their opinions, I will make the right decisions.
Has public perception of Indian casinos improved at all in your mind?
As someone who has been afforded the opportunity of all types of gaming, I kind of compare Indian gaming of now to the riverboat gaming of the '70s and '80s. There were a lot of unknowns, but as more and more good people came from around the country into riverboat gaming, it became established. I think tribal gaming is almost there. The perception will grow in time. The business is really only about eight years old. Every year, I believe, the public is (more) understanding and can judge for themselves. That's really all we ask. We ask them to come in and experience it for themselves. The numbers keep growing, so I have to believe the public's acceptance rate is continually growing.
What would be your advice to continuing to improve tribal gaming perceptions?
It's our job to win them over. The gaming is fair, the food is great and we work with all the same vendors any other casino does. There's really no difference.
How would you describe your tribe's relationship with Gov. Schwarzenegger?
We're very happy with the compact that was signed by Gov. (Grey) Davis. From our standpoint, while some tribes have renegotiated with the governor, we really have not had a lot of dealings with the present governor. We're not interested in amending the original compact of 1999. I know 10 or 12 of the 53 tribes have renegotiated with him, and I think it's great that he's willing to talk to each tribe individually and access what's best for each individual tribe. That seems to be the fairest way.
I think a lot changed in 2006. Over his first two years he had a learning curve, as did the tribes. I think now the system seems to be working.
What roadblocks, if any, are left to unfettered tribal casino success?
There still isn't the full complement of Las Vegas games. I guess again that will be determined in the future as the renegotiations are going on. We do have a full complement of slot machines and the same rules, same payouts, and the card and table games are comparable. Of the games that we don't have, the original Vegas-style craps and roulette, some casinos have amended versions. I don't think the public has quite caught on to these games in Indian Country. I think that's probably the last frontiers for us to be exactly like Las Vegas or Atlantic City. I think a lot of the hurdles have already been crossed.
What's your outlook for the tribal gaming in California in the years to come? Will Indian casinos rival those in Las Vegas and other significant gaming markets?
The outlook is extremely bright. It is a tremendous form of entertainment. We compete against movie theaters, malls, restaurants and things like that. We're not looking for anybody to spend their last dollar here.
We are also very interested in helping the problem gamblers. We know that three or four percent of casino patrons may have a problem, and we offer help any way we can. We like everyone who comes in to have a budget and to look at it just as they would as if they were going to the movies or anything else. We keep an eye out for anyone we think may have a problem. We're all trained to try to help them.
Having the spent the better part of 20 years living in Las Vegas, I know there is only one Las Vegas. But as gaming spreads across the country, Indian gaming is coming close to the total revenues of Nevada. Five or six years ago it was only a fraction of that. There was a study that showed that in 2010 the revenues of California will equal those of Nevada.
I don't think you'll ever see a lineup of hotel casinos like you would on the Strip, but Californians are used to driving. Our average customer comes from about 32 miles away, whereas in Vegas everything is about convenience. It's a totally different market. In Las Vegas nobody wants to drive more than five miles. Here we have guests driving 40, 50, 60 miles just to enjoy the food. People can come if they want, and if not, they don't have to mix in with the casino traffic.
Q & A with Bruce Howard, general manager, Valley View Casino
Bruce Howard is the general manager of the Valley View Casino, near San Diego, Calif. and owned by the San Pasqual Tribe of Mission Indians. After starting out in the restaurant business, Howard moved to Las Vegas in 1985 and entered the gaming business as director of room service for Caesars Palace. There he moved into deeper roles with food and beverage departments. By 1995, he moved into more executive positions, first as director of operations at Players International's property in Lake Charles, La. Four years later, he returned to the Las Vegas Strip to take on other management roles with Bally's, Paris Las Vegas and the Aladdin. In 2002, he got his first opportunity to help open a property with the Ameristar St. Charles facility in Missouri. There, he served as assistant general manager. But a combination of missing the West Coast and knowing Valley View's then-general manager Rick Richards led Howard and his family to San Diego. "He asked me if I would come to San Diego in March of 2003 to be the vice president of operations. About eight months later, Rick went back to Las Vegas, and I've been the general manager ever since December of 2003. It's been a tremendous experience. I've worked with some of the greatest people in the world and I've learned from the best. And Valley View has afforded me the greatest opportunity of my life," Howard said, speaking to Casino Journal contributing writer Regina Lafay during a recent interview in which he discusses the San Diego market, his management philosophies and Valley View's current expansion plans.
The Valley View Casino has recently gotten underway with a significant expansion plan. For the benefit of our readers, can you share the details of those plans?
Absolutely. We're building a new parking facility with 1,200 covered spaces which we will have open Thanksgiving of this year. Then in April of 2007, we will be opening our new casino with 1,300 slot machines, 10 table games, our new buffet will open on a temporary basis in our events center, and a brand new steakhouse. We'll also be opening our new players club, our new VIP lounge, and we'll be introducing two bars-one in our new steakhouse and one bar in our non-smoking area. Our non-smoking slot area has become very popular, and we wanted to give those guests a chance to have their own bar in a non-smoking environment.
Then in October of 2007, we'll finish our expansion with the opening of four more restaurants. One will be our permanent buffet, which-as many of the readers may know-we just won the best buffet in Southern California for our existing buffet. In addition to that we'll have our 24-hour dining venue with American and Asian cuisine, we'll have our own ice cream shop and our own coffee and pastry shop. We also will have a new team dining room. We put a lot of emphasis on where our team members eat. We're really excited about all of this.
There's no hotel planned for Valley View. Why that decision?
We're going to open with all the amenities I mentioned, and we'll see how that goes for the next couple of years. If it looks like it's needed, we'll go back to the owners, the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, and we may very well move into the hotel phase. If the business is there, which I certainly think it will be, we may very well be talking again in three or four years about new expansions. The Southern California gaming market is very healthy and our guests are very loyal.
I'm assuming because of the expansion plans, business at your property has been good. Would you say the San Diego market has outperformed or underperformed your expectations?
It's met and exceeded my expectations. I've been very fortunate to be in gaming markets all over the country, having spent 15 years in Las Vegas, Nev., then some time in Lake Charles, La., Mesquite, Nev., St. Louis, Mo., and now a little over three and half years in Southern California. The market is tremendous, the quality of people in San Diego is tremendous, the gaming knowledge is here, we have a loyal base of guests. Our average guest visits us about 50 times a year. Almost once a week we are fortunate enough to be visited by our guests. The market is still young. The gaming compact that we signed started in 1999, so the whole compact is just seven years old. The market is growing, and our guests feel they're getting the same experience that they would get in Vegas without having to drive 300 miles. The quality of the restaurants is second-to-none. The guest service is as good as anywhere I've been. Our 700 team members are phenomenal and do a fantastic job of making the guests feel at home.
With many Indian casinos expanding, how did Valley View position itself to compete in the market?
We compete against eight California casinos. We've positioned ourselves with personal service. We pride ourselves on 12 guest interactions. Each guest meets up with 12 team members, and we put a big emphasis on the quality of those interactions-everything from eye contact to sincerity to, obviously, the latest and greatest slot equipment. We have a phenomenal vice president of slot operations, Randy Reedy. We offer the most value in the slot world. We were the only Southern California casino certified loose by Strictly Slots, so we believe we give the gaming patron the most value for their slot dollar. We have a fantastic emphasis on food. Our vice president of food and beverage, Anthony Matthews, spent a lot of time at Bellagio and the Aladdin. Our director of table games, Mike Tansley, came from New York-New York where customer service is always a top priority. We've niched ourselves as the casino where everybody knows your name. For us it really is about those 12 interactions when you come to Valley View.
Can you give some examples of these interactions?
The interactions that we talk about are everything, from when you drive up to our free valet we open your car doors for you, when you enter our casino a security officer is there to greet you, and there's interactions from everyone in our slot department and table games. The interaction with our great players club team, the cage personnel are very friendly and always have a smile. We have great food and beverage folks, bartenders and even our chefs come out to the dining room to meet the guests. We have calculated over the years that every guest meets up with 12 representatives of Valley View. We make those interactions as positive and personal as they can be and a reason for the guests to come back. Most of our guests know everybody in the building by their first name.
How would you define your leadership style as general manager?
I've been given a lot of great opportunities, and now it's my turn to give opportunities to other people here. I think my style starts with hiring good people who maybe don't have all the technical skills, though I think most do. We have a saying in our company that a person is defined 80 percent by their people skills and 20 percent by their technical skills. I find good people, give them an opportunity and guide them along so that they can expand their wings. We have a lot of day-one people, and we're very proud of that. I've also been able to bring in some of the best people I've worked with around the country.
My style is a team-oriented style. I sit on a group of 24 members of our operations committee. We try to make group decisions and get the opinions of everybody, not just the head of the departments. All 24 of us guide the company. I believe any of those 24 could easily lead as well as I do. I know that when I have all their opinions, I will make the right decisions.
Has public perception of Indian casinos improved at all in your mind?
As someone who has been afforded the opportunity of all types of gaming, I kind of compare Indian gaming of now to the riverboat gaming of the '70s and '80s. There were a lot of unknowns, but as more and more good people came from around the country into riverboat gaming, it became established. I think tribal gaming is almost there. The perception will grow in time. The business is really only about eight years old. Every year, I believe, the public is (more) understanding and can judge for themselves. That's really all we ask. We ask them to come in and experience it for themselves. The numbers keep growing, so I have to believe the public's acceptance rate is continually growing.
What would be your advice to continuing to improve tribal gaming perceptions?
It's our job to win them over. The gaming is fair, the food is great and we work with all the same vendors any other casino does. There's really no difference.
How would you describe your tribe's relationship with Gov. Schwarzenegger?
We're very happy with the compact that was signed by Gov. (Grey) Davis. From our standpoint, while some tribes have renegotiated with the governor, we really have not had a lot of dealings with the present governor. We're not interested in amending the original compact of 1999. I know 10 or 12 of the 53 tribes have renegotiated with him, and I think it's great that he's willing to talk to each tribe individually and access what's best for each individual tribe. That seems to be the fairest way.
I think a lot changed in 2006. Over his first two years he had a learning curve, as did the tribes. I think now the system seems to be working.
What roadblocks, if any, are left to unfettered tribal casino success?
There still isn't the full complement of Las Vegas games. I guess again that will be determined in the future as the renegotiations are going on. We do have a full complement of slot machines and the same rules, same payouts, and the card and table games are comparable. Of the games that we don't have, the original Vegas-style craps and roulette, some casinos have amended versions. I don't think the public has quite caught on to these games in Indian Country. I think that's probably the last frontiers for us to be exactly like Las Vegas or Atlantic City. I think a lot of the hurdles have already been crossed.
What's your outlook for the tribal gaming in California in the years to come? Will Indian casinos rival those in Las Vegas and other significant gaming markets?
The outlook is extremely bright. It is a tremendous form of entertainment. We compete against movie theaters, malls, restaurants and things like that. We're not looking for anybody to spend their last dollar here.
We are also very interested in helping the problem gamblers. We know that three or four percent of casino patrons may have a problem, and we offer help any way we can. We like everyone who comes in to have a budget and to look at it just as they would as if they were going to the movies or anything else. We keep an eye out for anyone we think may have a problem. We're all trained to try to help them.
Having the spent the better part of 20 years living in Las Vegas, I know there is only one Las Vegas. But as gaming spreads across the country, Indian gaming is coming close to the total revenues of Nevada. Five or six years ago it was only a fraction of that. There was a study that showed that in 2010 the revenues of California will equal those of Nevada.
I don't think you'll ever see a lineup of hotel casinos like you would on the Strip, but Californians are used to driving. Our average customer comes from about 32 miles away, whereas in Vegas everything is about convenience. It's a totally different market. In Las Vegas nobody wants to drive more than five miles. Here we have guests driving 40, 50, 60 miles just to enjoy the food. People can come if they want, and if not, they don't have to mix in with the casino traffic.
