Vegas-born pizza brand prepares for its first casino location with a chef-driven approach built specifically for the food hall environment
A Vegas Brand Enters the Casino World
Good Pie is preparing to open its third Las Vegas-area location, bringing the Vegas-born pizza brand into a casino for the first time with a new outpost inside the food hall at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa.
But according to owner Vincent Rotolo, the move isn’t simply about duplicating the existing locations in the Arts District and Henderson. Instead, he says the Red Rock location gave him an opportunity to rethink what a modern slice shop can be.
“This is really focused on the slice,” Rotolo told Food And Loathing’s Al Mancini during a recent tour of the under-construction space. “What sets us apart is the post-oven work that we’re doing.”
Designing for the Food Hall Experience
That philosophy shows up throughout the menu. In addition to reheating slices for consistency and crispness using a TurboChef conveyor system, Rotolo says the team will finish many pies after they leave the oven, adding premium ingredients like olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, burrata and other cheeses.
“We’re rooted in authenticity, and we’re rooted in tradition,” he said. “But we’re pushing future innovation and creativity to the limits.”
The approach reflects a larger idea that surfaced repeatedly during the conversation: rather than simplifying the concept for a food-court setting, Rotolo believes the environment challenged him to elevate it.
“Most people come to a food court and they just dumb down whatever they’re doing that made them famous,” Mancini observed during the interview (which you can hear in full on the Food and Loathing podcast). “And here you’re smartening it up to address the environment you’re in.”
“I couldn’t say that better myself,” Rotolo responded.
Multiple Styles, Familiar Philosophy
The new location will offer several styles of pizza, including New York slices, Detroit, Sicilian, grandma, gluten-free pies, vegan options and a fresh mozzarella margherita pie made with cheese sourced from Brooklyn. While Good Pie has long been known for its grandma-style pizza and downtown slice counter, Rotolo says his own tastes — and expectations — have evolved over the years.
“I expect more out of a slice now than I did seven years ago,” he said. “I think about food differently. I eat differently. I shop differently. I’m more conscious than ever before about every ingredient that could potentially make something better.”
Serving the Summerlin Community
Even as the brand enters a casino environment, Rotolo says customers shouldn’t expect casino-style pricing increases. Pricing will remain consistent across locations because he uses the same high-quality ingredients at every restaurant.
“The Good Pie prices will be the same across the board,” he said. “You are going to pay a premium price for a great product in and out of a casino — and Good Pie is a premium product.”
Rotolo also emphasized that the move to Red Rock was driven in part by the growth and changing dining habits of the Summerlin community, where he says customers have already been driving across town to visit the existing locations.
“This is one of the most exciting communities in Las Vegas,” he said. “People have been driving 25 minutes to Main Street. I even know customers in Summerlin who get on the 215 and go to Henderson for pizza.”
For Rotolo, opening inside Red Rock also represents something larger than expansion. Though heavily influenced by New York pizza culture, he describes Good Pie as a product of Las Vegas hospitality itself.
“Yes, I’m a New Yorker,” he said. “But Good Pie is a Vegas-born brand.”
Hear the entire interview on the May 8 episode of the Food and Loathing podcast.
