Rohnert Park's Graton Resort & Casino is about to look a lot less like a simple gambling stop and a lot more like a full-blown entertainment hub. On May 4, the resort will roll out the next phase of its $1 billion expansion, adding three new restaurants, including its first rooftop dining room, plus a significantly larger, smoke-free gaming wing. The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria say this is just one step in a multi-year build-out that will also bring a new hotel tower, more nightlife and a 3,500-seat theater, all aimed at drawing in Sonoma County diners and event-goers, not just people chasing jackpots.
Three New Restaurants Arrive May 4
According to the San Francisco Business Times, the opening lineup features AYA, a rooftop restaurant, Playbook Sports Bar and SoCo Dough Co., a dessert-focused doughnut-and-gelato shop. These three spots make up the first batch of original food and beverage concepts tied to the expansion and will debut alongside a new non-smoking casino wing. Resort officials say more dining and nightlife options are queued up to arrive later this year and continue rolling out into 2027.
AYA: A Rooftop Centerpiece
AYA is being positioned as the star of this phase of the project: a 28,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant designed by David Rockwell's Rockwell Group and led by Chef Roy Ellamar, serving Coastal California cuisine with Asian influences. As reported by Yogonet, the venue carries a reported $40 million buildout and a $1 million wine program, and it will pull ingredients from a custom farm program near the resort. Guests will find two outdoor terraces plus a dedicated exterior entrance that provides direct access to the rooftop.
Playbook And SoCo Dough Co. Bring Game-Day And Late-Night Options
Playbook Sports Bar is pitched as a 168-seat, high-energy game-day hangout, lined with wall-to-wall screens and a dramatic halo display, with individual table-side TVs so no one has to miss a play. The menu leans into elevated comfort food, including Detroit-style pizza and beef-tallow wings. SoCo Dough Co. is set up as a full-scale dessert shop, serving house-made doughnuts, inventive gelato flavors and savory breakfast items, according to coverage by CDC Gaming. Graton Resort & Casino says it is hiring now for these venues, with more than 430 jobs tied to this phase and roughly 160 culinary roles listed in current recruiting materials.
Smoke-Free Gaming Floor And Wider Build
The May 4 milestone also includes the unveiling of a 144,000-square-foot, fully non-smoking casino wing that will feature a new poker room, a high-limit slots lounge and nearly 2,000 additional slot machines, according to the resort's expansion materials. Graton Resort & Casino says the new area is being designed with contemporary finishes and curated art that speaks to the tribe's heritage. Construction on the overall expansion began in 2023 and is set to continue through 2027, with a hotel tower and an adults-only pool still in the pipeline.
What It Means For Sonoma County
Local officials and project supporters say the expansion will create hundreds of jobs and sharpen Sonoma County's appeal as a tourism destination, while roughly doubling the resort's footprint and boosting its pull as an entertainment venue, according to The Press Democrat. The added space for concerts and conferences is expected, by tribal leaders, to attract more off-peak visitors and convention business to nearby hotels and restaurants. At the same time, neighbors and regional planners are keeping a close eye on how the project reshapes traffic patterns, employment and tax-sharing arrangements with local government.
The first wave of restaurants is expected to welcome reservations or walk-ins when they open in early May, with the resort's website and local hiring pages offering the latest details on hours and job openings. For more on the new concepts and the broader buildout, see reporting from the San Francisco Business Times and the resort's expansion overview on the Graton Resort & Casino site.
