Black Oak Casino Resort touts completion of renovations to cafe, bowling alley
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Promoters for the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians and Black Oak Casino Resort are touting the official grand reopenings of the Black Oak Cafe and Black Oak Lanes, which were recently closed for renovations to improve guests’ experiences.
“We are excited to share the changes and will be doing the following promotions to share our new renovations,” tribal spokeswoman Lee Ann Brown said.
Both the cafe and bowling alley were closed earlier this year for about three months while the now-completed renovations were under construction.
The cafe has been remodeled to increase seating capacity, with more booths at the request of guests, additional seating where a buffet area used to be, larger family style tables, refreshed paint and windows, and a new waiting area for families, Brown said.
A soft opening for the cafe was held on Nov. 20 for tribal members before opening to the public on Nov. 21. It first opened as part of the original casino built in 2001 and was expanded in 2005 to include a buffet, additional seating, and a larger menu.
Black Oak Lanes was originally built in 2005 as part of the casino’s expansion that year. It's a 24-lane Brunswick Bowling Center, pro shop and arcade.
Recent renovations to the bowling alley have included on-site Brunswick technicians who came out and updated the hardware and mechanics and installed Spark bowling, updated flooring, a remodeled seating area, and fresh paint.
Brunswick Spark bowling is billed as augmented reality bowling that features immersive, interactive scoring. It’s intended to bring the latest in technology and entertainment trends to bowling lanes.
The bowling alley officially reopened on Aug. 31, with a soft opening for tribal members followed by other private events, before opening to the public on Labor Day weekend.
Owned and operated by the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, the original Black Oak Casino opened its doors 22 years ago on May 15, 2001, in a temporary building with 600 slot machines and the cafe.
Today, the casino resort includes multiple buildings, 1,174 slot machines, 22 gambling tables, eight bars and restaurants, live entertainment, a video game arcade, a 24-lane bowling alley, a 148-room hotel, a full-service conference and event center, and an 85-space RV park with clubhouse, pool and spa.
Profits from legalized gambling and tribal leadership have helped transform the tribe from one of the most underserved groups in Tuolumne County to one of the region's leading economic engines and philanthropists.
“Black Oak Casino Resort is a vital part of the Me-Wuk Tribe’s legacy and future,” Andrea Reich, Tribal Council chairwoman at the time, said on the casino resort’s 20th anniversary in May 2021. “We’re extremely proud of what the resort has done to support our tribal members and the local economy. It provides great amenities for the community, creates jobs and attracts new visitors to enjoy Tuolumne County. We look forward to many more years as the premier gaming and entertainment destination in the Mother Lode.”
Later this month, the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians plans to open Elevate, a family fun center next to Black Oak Casino Resort.
The tribe and its Tuolumne Economic Development Authority are billing Elevate as a 20,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Black Oak Casino Resort, where entertainment attractions will include ax throwing, batting cages, soft play for toddlers, a ninja warriors course, dodgeball, slam dunk basketball, and virtual simulators.
Elevate developers plan to host tournaments, leagues, and events on-site, rent rooms for parties, and sell food. The new facility plans to offer discounted rates for Tuolumne County residents. Elevate will have a staff of 10 to 15 people, under supervision of the Tuolumne Economic Development Authority.
Black Oak Cafe has 50 employees, Black Oak Lanes has 13 employees, Black Oak Casino Resort has more than 550 employees total, and the casino resort is always hiring, said Kelly Mogg, marketing manager for Black Oak Casino Resort.
To draw attention to the reopening of Black Oak Cafe, the resort is offering cafe customers 25% off table meals, excluding alcoholic beverages and gratuity, valid once per customer, all day today until closing. The promotion is not valid with any other offers. The cafe is open today from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday.
To continue the cafe reopening celebration the resort will offer “buy one, get one free” cafe specials from 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Dec. 22, and $5 off breakfasts from Monday to Dec. 22. Promotion rules and regulations will apply.
The grand reopening of Black Oak Lanes is planned from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Guests will be able to receive a Free Spark Bowling Upgrade, a $10 value, as well as free bowling shoes, and they will spin a prize wheel for free promotional merchandise. Reservations are strongly encouraged.
The renovated cafe unofficially opened last week with hours 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, and 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Brown said.
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