Vegas landmark returning to daily dinner service despite loss of NAB

Local landmark Piero’s Italian Cuisine announced Wednesday that it’s returning to daily dinner service for the first time since the pandemic started. The announcement from the restaurant, which relies heavily on the convention trade, came on the heels of the National Association of Broadcasters canceling its convention scheduled for early October.

“I was surprised,” general manager Evan Glusman said of the NAB news. “We had no rumblings.” He said he didn’t have a lot of parties scheduled in connection with NAB, but had a cancellation within 15 minutes of the organization’s announcement.

Glusman said he’d already planned to switch from four days a week to daily service on Sept. 28 when he heard.

“It stung,” he said. “Here we go. It scares us a little bit. I won’t lie and say it doesn’t.”

Glusman said the news comes as Piero’s completes the best summer season in the restaurant’s 39-year history.

“The entire town was on fire, but at Piero’s it was amazing,” he said. “The locals really stepped up, so that was great for us. It was locals that have come to our restaurant for years, but instead of coming once or twice, it’s three or four times.”

Glusman said that while NAB traditionally is one of the larger conventions, his business gets a substantial boost from the smaller groups of 10,000 to 20,000 people who meet in the new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, across Convention Center Drive from the restaurant. He said he’s optimistic that few other upcoming conventions will cancel, including the behemoth CES in early January.

“For CES, we have a huge event,” he said. “Ten days in our entire parking lot. From what I see, they’re 100 percent committed to coming. They’re moving forward as is, and that’s truly an international company.

“We’re just stoked to be getting back to seven days a week doing what we do.”

Piero’s was founded in 1982 by Glusman’s father, Freddie, and has been the site of numerous news events over the years. Specialties include osso buco, which has been on the menu since 1982, as well as bone-in veal Parmigiana, Dover sole, a 24-ounce prime ribeye and Florida stone crab claws. It’s currently open from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, but starting Sept. 28, hours will shift to 5:30 to 10 p.m. daily.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.