Sahara looking to evict NASCAR Cafe

Kevin Rademacher

Tuesday, June 17, 2003 | 10:57 a.m.

Gordon Gaming Corp., parent company of the Sahara hotel-casino, is seeking to evict the NASCAR Cafe from the Strip property by Monday.

Dyer Ventures, which operates the restaurant and adjoining roller coaster at the Sahara, has responded with a request for a restraining order. District Court Judge Sally Loehrer is scheduled to hear Dyer's request Thursday morning.

Dyer Ventures was notified of the pending eviction on May 23, said Efram Rosenfeld, an attorney representing Dyer Ventures. It filed the request for a restraining order on June 11.

Rosenfeld said the eviction notice came about a month after the Sahara notified Dyer of non-monetary breaches in its lease. The claims, he said, revolved around maintenance, and the operator was prepared to work out the issues with the Sahara.

"Usually, that's what you do. You sit down and work these things out," Rosenfeld said. "We're not talking about not paying rent ... The next letter we got was stating that 'we are terminating you.' "

Matt McCaughey, general counsel for Gordon Gaming, declined to comment on the matter while litigation is pending.

Rosenfeld said the attitude of management changed with the death of Sahara owner William Bennett earlier this year.

"We had an excellent relationship with him," he said. "The current management has become very hostile. They just want to see if they can grab the money."

The cafe and roller coaster have paid about $2 million a year to the Sahara as part of its lease, which mandates a 50 percent split of gross revenue, Rosenfeld said, adding that he believes Sahara management wants to operate the cafe and roller coaster itself, without sharing the profits with a third party.

The NASCAR Cafe and the roller coaster -- Speed-The Ride -- opened in March of 2000 at the 1,720-room, 51-year-old hotel.

The 400-seat, 75,000-square-foot NASCAR Cafe also features a Cyber Speedway that features 24 stock car racing simulators, a state-of-the-art arcade and various race memorabilia.