August 15, 2025 • 4 mins
Alicart runs Carmine's, Virgil's and more! Jeffrey thinks that the groundwork is all set in Times Square for a casino to break ground, which could be amazing for NYC. Larry and Jeff discuss how Times Square is a perfect location for a casino.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, as you probably know, there have been public hearings
one so far, but there's more to come. Public hearings
about having a Caesar's casino on Broadway in Times Square.
And at the public hearing that I saw there was
vociferous arguments on those against it and those for it.
(00:21):
One of the people that's for it is Jeffrey Banks.
He's the owner of a La Carte restaurants group. They
run car Mines Virgils and they also are in Caesars
in Las Vegas, so they know what this means. Jeffrey,
thanks so much for joining us this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Thank you, happy to be here. We're also in Caesar's
in Atlantic City. Just to throw Oh.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Okay, yeah, I'm glad you mentioned that. So tell us
the benefits since you are all for this, the benefits
of having a casino like Caesars and it's huge in
the middle of Times Square.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Well, I think it's great. And you look at a
couple different things. While the Caesars sl Green project is
going to work in Times Square, first off, fifteen fifty
Broadway is an existing building, so the construction is going
to be nominal. There's going to be obviously a very
large licensee from Caesars to the state. You know, one
of the things I did about is that, and you
know that people can think about is that you can
(01:19):
take that millions of dollars in that license fee, take
that to all the other proposals which are taking public
or lots or lands that aren't built, and build affordable
housing in those areas because those casinos have to be built.
But this location in Times Square is shovel ready. Jesus
is a great partner. They're phenomenal. I'm with them in
Vegas and Atlantic City. Their standards, their quality is excellent.
(01:40):
And what they're going to do here in Times Square
is they're going to flip the script. We all know
that casinos do everything to keep you inside. In this location,
sees are going to do everything they can to allow
people a halo effect to go into the neighborhood. So
they anticipate fourteen million meals are going to be needed
to be fed in Times Square, and what they're going
to do is take their sixty five million reward members
and reimburse the local independent restaurants, the mom and pops
(02:03):
one percent, one hundred cents on the dollar for those
fourteen million meals. To be eaten in the neighborhood. Every
restaurant tour I know the neighborhood is incredibly excited about
this project.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
The biggest opponent seems to be Broadway and the theaters.
Should they be concerned?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Okay, well, I think what you're saying is part of
Broadway because the Actors Equity Association is for this project.
That's fifty one thousand members, actors and stage managers that
are for the project. So don't say that Broadway's not
for this. Maybe Summer Broadway.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So the Broadway League. We had the guy from the
Broadway League on yesterday and he.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Is you could add, right, you could add someone from
the Actors' Equity Association. They'll tell you that for it
with their fifty one thousand members. But what's going to
happen here is we all remember what what Time Square
was back in the ninety Then Disney came along, and
now you're where we are after the pandemic. The quality
of life is not what it used to be. It
could use some help. This casino is on the ground floor.
(03:01):
It's not your father's OTD. It's a bou boutique hotel,
high end gaming and it's going to bring business to
all the locals. It's going to bring another millions of
dollars of tickets Broadway tickets that Caesar is going to
give their reward members to go to Broadway. They're improving
security in the neighborhood. They're spending almost one hundred million
(03:22):
dollars the commissioner of Bratton's plan to increase security, which
is needed in Times Square. I've got two broken windows
in three weeks right now, and they're going to help
turn the neighborhood around. I don't see how this is
not win win for everybody.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
And you've worked with them before, so you know that
they would keep these promises.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Absolutely, put it into the writing. When we're involved in
a Virgel's barbecue and Tiger downs at jeff Corral, it
was put into the license. What he had to do.
Write it into the license, and everybody will keep their promises.
Caesars is the best casino company in the world. It's
the largest. They have a reputation to uphold. This isn't
just one property there, it's it's not going to open
in this casino and not fulfill their commitments.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Jeffrey, thank you so much for being with us.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Today.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I know there's a website you can go to for
more information, Better timesquare dot com. Is that right, A
better timesquare dot com.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
You were close, A better timesquare dot org. Okay, and
that's where you're gonna go to help support this project.
I think it's an amazing, amazing opportunity for the local
businesses and then clean up the neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Well, let me say that one more time, A better
timessquare dot org to get more information. Jeffreybanks, owner of
Alacarte Restaurant Group. By the way, I've been to your restaurant.
Nice job, wonderful, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I appreciate
Well, as you probably know, there have been public hearings
one so far, but there's more to come. Public hearings
about having a Caesar's casino on Broadway in Times Square.
And at the public hearing that I saw there was
vociferous arguments on those against it and those for it.
(00:21):
One of the people that's for it is Jeffrey Banks.
He's the owner of a La Carte restaurants group. They
run car Mines Virgils and they also are in Caesars
in Las Vegas, so they know what this means. Jeffrey,
thanks so much for joining us this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Thank you, happy to be here. We're also in Caesar's
in Atlantic City. Just to throw Oh.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Okay, yeah, I'm glad you mentioned that. So tell us
the benefits since you are all for this, the benefits
of having a casino like Caesars and it's huge in
the middle of Times Square.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Well, I think it's great. And you look at a
couple different things. While the Caesars sl Green project is
going to work in Times Square, first off, fifteen fifty
Broadway is an existing building, so the construction is going
to be nominal. There's going to be obviously a very
large licensee from Caesars to the state. You know, one
of the things I did about is that, and you
know that people can think about is that you can
(01:19):
take that millions of dollars in that license fee, take
that to all the other proposals which are taking public
or lots or lands that aren't built, and build affordable
housing in those areas because those casinos have to be built.
But this location in Times Square is shovel ready. Jesus
is a great partner. They're phenomenal. I'm with them in
Vegas and Atlantic City. Their standards, their quality is excellent.
(01:40):
And what they're going to do here in Times Square
is they're going to flip the script. We all know
that casinos do everything to keep you inside. In this location,
sees are going to do everything they can to allow
people a halo effect to go into the neighborhood. So
they anticipate fourteen million meals are going to be needed
to be fed in Times Square, and what they're going
to do is take their sixty five million reward members
and reimburse the local independent restaurants, the mom and pops
(02:03):
one percent, one hundred cents on the dollar for those
fourteen million meals. To be eaten in the neighborhood. Every
restaurant tour I know the neighborhood is incredibly excited about
this project.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
The biggest opponent seems to be Broadway and the theaters.
Should they be concerned?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Okay, well, I think what you're saying is part of
Broadway because the Actors Equity Association is for this project.
That's fifty one thousand members, actors and stage managers that
are for the project. So don't say that Broadway's not
for this. Maybe Summer Broadway.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So the Broadway League. We had the guy from the
Broadway League on yesterday and he.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Is you could add, right, you could add someone from
the Actors' Equity Association. They'll tell you that for it
with their fifty one thousand members. But what's going to
happen here is we all remember what what Time Square
was back in the ninety Then Disney came along, and
now you're where we are after the pandemic. The quality
of life is not what it used to be. It
could use some help. This casino is on the ground floor.
(03:01):
It's not your father's OTD. It's a bou boutique hotel,
high end gaming and it's going to bring business to
all the locals. It's going to bring another millions of
dollars of tickets Broadway tickets that Caesar is going to
give their reward members to go to Broadway. They're improving
security in the neighborhood. They're spending almost one hundred million
(03:22):
dollars the commissioner of Bratton's plan to increase security, which
is needed in Times Square. I've got two broken windows
in three weeks right now, and they're going to help
turn the neighborhood around. I don't see how this is
not win win for everybody.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
And you've worked with them before, so you know that
they would keep these promises.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Absolutely, put it into the writing. When we're involved in
a Virgel's barbecue and Tiger downs at jeff Corral, it
was put into the license. What he had to do.
Write it into the license, and everybody will keep their promises.
Caesars is the best casino company in the world. It's
the largest. They have a reputation to uphold. This isn't
just one property there, it's it's not going to open
in this casino and not fulfill their commitments.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Jeffrey, thank you so much for being with us.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Today.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I know there's a website you can go to for
more information, Better timesquare dot com. Is that right, A
better timesquare dot com.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
You were close, A better timesquare dot org. Okay, and
that's where you're gonna go to help support this project.
I think it's an amazing, amazing opportunity for the local
businesses and then clean up the neighborhood.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Well, let me say that one more time, A better
timessquare dot org to get more information. Jeffreybanks, owner of
Alacarte Restaurant Group. By the way, I've been to your restaurant.
Nice job, wonderful, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I appreciate
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