Celebrity-Loved Wine Shop and Restaurant ‘Wally’s’ Coming to Resorts World Las Vegas
A beloved Beverly Hills landmark is opening its doors in Las Vegas. Wally’s Wine & Spirits will debut its first location outside
CELEB Magazine
A beloved Beverly Hills landmark is opening its doors in Las Vegas. Wally’s Wine & Spirits will debut its first location outside of Southern California, inside the new Resorts World Las Vegas. The integrated resort is scheduled to open in summer 2021.
The L.A. Exodus Continues
The collaboration was announced early Monday. An institution coveted by Angelenos and Hollywood’s elite for decades—including Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Chris O’Donnell and Jake Gyllenhaal—Wally’s at Resorts World will blend restaurant, wine bar and specialty gourmet market, creating a one-stop tasting experience.
‘As we work to solidify our dining and retail experiences, we aim to bring concepts new to Las Vegas, and we could not be more thrilled to be home to the first location of Wally’s Wine outside of Southern California,’ says Scott Sibella, president of Resorts World Las Vegas. ‘With their unique luxury hybrid concept that includes expertly curated and high-quality products from all over the world, we know they will quickly become a new staple in this city.’
With their successes in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, Wally’s has created a multi-faceted concept that marries the brand’s time-honored retail wine shop with a restaurant and social wine bar. Wally’s will have over 8,000 labels of wine, spirits, beer and specialty gourmet food items from around the globe, available for sale or to enjoy as a sit-down experience. Catering to upscale and casual tasting experiences to savor throughout the day and into late night, Wally’s will also offer over 125 wines-by-the-glass as well as an extensive list of spirits, cocktails and more to sip on site in a warm, convivial environment.
“We’re so happy to be part of the Strip’s newest, highly anticipated resort and join the incredible collection of wine and dining experiences in Las Vegas,” says Christian Navarro, president and principal of Wally’s Wine & Spirits. “Wally’s Wine is designed as an all-in-one wine destination that features the best of everything. As we looked to expand outside of Southern California, it was essential to find a collaborator focused on delivering integrated experiences as well, making Resorts World Las Vegas a natural fit for us.’”
The Perfect Pair, Just Like Wine and Cheese
CELEB talked to both Navarro and Sibella about what this collaboration means for both Wally’s and Resorts World, and what customers can expect.
When asked about Resorts World’s choice of Wally’s as one of its partners, Sibella explains the thought process that went into picking the brand. “More goes into our success than just going out and partnering with popular restaurants. It has to be the right choice, there has to be a great partnership. From the very beginning, we got along with Christian. Wally’s understood our vision,” he says.
Sibella continues, “We have a lot of great partners, but I’ve had my eyes on Wally’s. They have been top on my list of dream partners. We want to bring what they have created in Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Everybody knows about Wally’s. And everyone has a different definition. But it’s always so positive. It’s a social club, it’s a great restaurant, the staff is so educated and make you feel comfortable; the atmosphere is wonderful. You can get a $10 glass of wine or you can get a $90 glass of wine. It’s everything we’re doing at Resorts World. And once Christian and I had done our homework on one another, we knew it would be a great fit.”
Passion Over P&Ls
“For us, it’s about relationships, and it’s about the people,” Navarro says. “When I met Scott, he didn’t talk to me about, ‘how to maximize dollars.’ He talked to me about dreams and what could be for Las Vegas, and how to really make people happy. And that fits with our philosophy. We believe that if you build it right, and you do the right thing, everyone will come.”
Recounting the conversation about their shared ideals, Navarro continues, “I said, ‘Scott, this is the first time I’ve ever heard anything like this in a business pitch. I’m in.’ I’m compelled to do whatever I can to help the property. It’s about the people and how to make people happy first and foremost. And then we should be able to make good money when they’re happy. So that’s the way we live. And that’s why I had to say yes to Scott.”
Part of the biggest draw about both Wally’s and Resorts World is that you can come from any walk of life and be treated the same, and find something to fit your need and budget. “Everybody is a rock star, when you’re at the table, you can be a billionaire, or a school teacher, and you’re treated exactly the same. And then what you find out is you actually have something in common with the person sitting next to you. It’s always a fun endeavor because we meet people from all over the world. People you would never imagine meeting come to us and we get to learn about them. It’s more than just a place to patronize, it’s an experience,” Navarro says.
More Life, More Charcuterie
When asked what Wally’s will look like in the vastness of Resorts World, Navarro and Sibella explain how they plan to weave personalized service into the 3,000-plus room integrated resort. Wally’s will be serving all of the rooms in the resort and its devotees in the community, as well. Local ingredients and local flavors will appear on its menus.
Sibella explains there will be valet and parking opportunities to make it easy for people outside of the resort to access Wally’s. “There are four entrances into our property so it’s going to be easy and simple to get into,” he says.
The formula of market, retail, restaurant and delivery will provide everything a customer could ask for from the Wally’s experience. When asked if there would be more collaborative work in the future, Navarro answers wryly, “Scott is allowing me to chase a dream and to be able to reach people all over the world in a way that I really want to. I couldn’t say no. So if Scott wants me to open a circus in Antarctica, I’m going to do it. Because I believe in him and what he does and it’s just too good of an opportunity to pass up. And if something feels right, we’ll do it.”