WOODLAND’S FORMER OAK TREE CARDROOM, now named the Lucky 21 Casino, reopened its doors on Sept. 7, offering players Baccarat, Pai-Gow and Blackjack and a new Asian restaurant.
Since closing down suddenly on Christmas Eve last year and being purchased by new owners in February, the return of Woodland’s Oak Tree Restaurant and Card Room was seen as a two-stage process.
Stage 1 came when the restaurant opened with both a revamped look and new menu on May 20. Stage 2 occurred when the cardroom, now called the Lucky 21 Casino, opened its doors and started dealing cards on Sept. 7.
“To be honest, it took longer than I expected,” said Dr. Dan Yan, Oak Tree co-owner and casino general manager. “Being in the industry and dealing with other businesses, you understand that’s sometimes part of the deal.”
Dr. Yan overseas the operations in the cardroom with co-managers Sonny Nguyen and Chris Spencer, who have a combined 23 years in the casino and gaming business around the country. They believe what will make the Lucky 21 a success over its previous incarnation is a simple, straightforward approach.
“Our goal is not to be the biggest casino in the area, but the best, and that means offering the best customer service for everyone who walks in the door,” said Spencer. “If you don’t offer that service, you won’t have any customers, no matter what else you try.”
The biggest change to the cardroom is not the ownership, but is evident on the sign over the 50-year-old building. Poker is no longer a part of their selection of card games and there is no immediate plan to bring it back.
“The problem is the Portland game rooms have taken the majority of the players, so it’s not financially feasible for us,” said Spencer. “Since we’re the farthest cardroom from Portland, there’s no point in trying to convince them to drive an hour out of their way when they can be closer to home. If at some point, their cardrooms close down, we’ll be glad to welcome them back though.”
Without poker, the Lucky 21 still offers Pai-Gow, Baccarat and Blackjack, and because of state regulations, they are unable to bring in slot machines or video poker. Dr. Yan and his managers see better food and a friendlier atmosphere as a way to keep people coming back.
“Like we found out with the restaurant, we went into the community and got feedback on what was wrong with the Oak Tree before,” said Dr. Yan. “We’ve listened and I think people will be surprised when they come here with what we’ve done.”
Under its previous ownership, the Oak Tree’s cardroom offered Asian food options to players, but complaints arose about quality and prices. To correct that, Dr. Yen said he hired a new cook from one of the finer restaurants in Portland to offer both authentic and “Americanized” Asian cuisine.
“We also will have a sushi bar offering fresh seafood soon, and since the main restaurant is on the other side of the building, there’s a lot of choices for everyone who wants to come play,” said Dr. Yan.
As one of five local casinos in the Southwest Washington area, Spencer said he and the ownership are aware of the competition they’ll face, especially from the four cardrooms in La Center. So, they will need to offer something different to compete.
“Again, it comes back to customer service, knowing people’s names when they walk in the door, offering them the best gaming and entertainment experiences and giving them a safe environment to enjoy themselves,” said Spencer. “You make it so if they walk out having won or lost money that day, they’ll want to come back because you’ve given them the best time possible.”
Troy Woody, a pit supervisor, has worked in the gaming industry prior to joining the staff at the Lucky 21. He praised the new ownership and management for its willingness to “evolve’’ and to be “proactive’’ in making the Lucky 21 a unique experience for its patrons.
“What I love about this particular casino is that management is all about keeping up with the wants, the needs, the desires of the customer,’’ said Woody, a former football standout who was a member of Washington State’s 1998 Rose Bowl team. “I think they’ve taken bits and pieces from what they’ve seen at other places and are using what’s worked and not using what hasn’t worked. I see a lot of promise in what’s happening here.’’
One point of contention that the Woodland community had when the cardroom first opened was, while it was promised to bring a new revenue stream to the city, it would also bring a gambling element which could lead to spikes in crime and other issues. Dr. Yen said his goal is to bring responsible fun and entertainment to the area.
“People first told me when I said I was buying the Oak Tree that I was crazy and gambling’s a bad influence that takes advantage of people,” said Dr. Yan. “We want the Lucky 21 to be a place you go to like the movies or on a trip. You have fun, but responsible fun. It’s not worth it for us to be a place that has a negative impact on the community and we take that very seriously.”
While the Lucky 21 is scheduled for a Grand Opening later on in the fall, the initial feedback has been positive from players and local patrons alike.
“It’s good to have a fresh start and we bring the perspective of being in the industry for a long time, so we know how it works and this part of the world is different than Vegas or Atlantic City or even Portland or Seattle,” said Spencer. “We’ve gotten some great word of mouth advertising and we’re heading in a positive direction.”
The Oak Tree Restaurant and Lucky 21 Casino is located at 1020 Atlantic Ave. in Woodland. The casino is changing their hours of operation soon and will be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-7 a.m., and will be open 24 hours a day from Thursday-Monday. For more information, call (360) 841-8567.
