Open or close? What will F1 bring for Vegas restaurants?

For many independent restaurants, customer confusion, canceled reservations and lost revenue were the fruits of the inaugural Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix last November.

In a handful of cases, restaurants and gaming properties even filed lawsuits this year against race organizers and Clark County, alleging financial losses from the disruptions caused by the race.

With the lessons of 2023 in mind, independent restaurants are taking a variety of approaches to the return of Formula One, scheduled for Thursday through Saturday. No matter the restaurant’s approach, a question revs constantly in the background: What will F1 bring this year?

Closing for the weekend

Bramàre isn’t waiting until race weekend to find out. The modern Italian restaurant, from the owners of Table 34, opened in July on Paradise Road. But in November, the owners don’t see a need for speed.

“We talked exhaustively with other businesses from last year, and us being a newer restaurant, we actually decided to close for F1 this year,” co-owner Constantin Alexander said. “Anyone at the track has a meal package with it, and most locals we’ve talked to are not going to come anywhere near the race because of the feeling toward F1 and the traffic.”

The decision was a tough one, Alexander said, given employee livelihoods and an estimated $20,000 to $30,000 in potential lost sales. “If we thought we could even come close to breaking even, we would stay open, but we don’t feel it’s even going to be close.”

Not leaning in

Bar Code Burgers, one of the best burger spots in the city, lies on East Flamingo Road about 2 miles from the Formula One Paddock at East Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane.

“Last year, the race resulted in the worst sales week of the year,” managing partner Cody Tomboli said. “It has zero interest from our regulars,” who are sports fans.

Bar Code will not be closing during race weekend, Tomboli said. In fact, “we wanted to lean into the race, but the race starts after closing hours for us, and we will not be staying open to show it.”

Only helps a few

Over in Chinatown, which has become a culinary destination just west of the Strip, the influential Chinatown Vegas blog recently leaned into the effects of F1 on traffic in Chinatown while also offering tips for getting to and around the neighborhood on race weekend.

“Every single business is going to suffer because it’s a nightmare to get there unless you’re coming from the west side of town,” said Joe Muscaglione, who runs the Chinatown Vegas blog and co-owns the ShangHai Taste restaurants in Chinatown and the southwest valley.

Of special concern, Muscaglione added, were the delays, detours and cancellations on the 203 bus route that typically brings many visitors from the Strip to Chinatown. “People might just stay put.”

His overall take on F1 Vegas heading into its second year? “I think this helps a small amount of people.”

Not as splashy as last year

Golden Steer Steakhouse, the 66-year-old embodiment of Old Vegas, lies just west of the convergence of the Strip and East Sahara Avenue. Last year before F1, co-owner Amanda Signorelli wondered how the race would affect customer access to the restaurant and who those customers might be.

This year, Signorelli said her “sense is the attendee mix is changing dramatically. Last year, companies were making a splash. There’s less energy this year to go out with a bang and make an impression. We have not seen the same amount of international inbound interest this year. We’re definitely seeing that in our numbers and our books.”

Reservations are down for larger parties of about eight to 40 diners, Signorelli said, but the restaurant is “still seeing a healthy à la carte business of parties of six or less. We have heard across the board from many locals that they are less afraid to come out because of the traffic. Still, there is some reticence to doing so.”

Signorelli also said she was curious how the race would evolve here. “What will be the defining element be of Formula One when it’s in Las Vegas?”

No hassles downtown

Kim Owens, owner of Main St. Provisions on South Main Street in downtown, has a different take on race weekend.

“We want people to race to the Arts District,” she said. “There’s so many things that happen in the Arts District daily. We are definitely not in that footprint of F1 when it comes to the ease of getting to the Arts District.”

And, crucially: “Parking is available.”

Owens said that early this week she would begin promoting on social media that the Arts District will be open for business during Formula One.

“Grab a glass of wine and do a nosh-around. We want people to understand that we’re here, we’re serving great food and we’re easy to get to.”

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.