Eat, drink, bet. Those three words will all be under the same roof when Winners Bayonne opens to the public on Tuesday, July 17.
Branded as a sports bar with action, the 25,000 square-foot venue boasts two large simulcast areas, a VIP room and a 38-seat bar and full-service restaurant operated by McLoone’s. With more than 150 television screens, the facility aims to please horseplayers and sports fans alike.
Winners Bayonne is the first off-track wagering facility to be built and operated by Jeff Gural’s New Meadowlands Racetrack LLC. Built on a vacant lot on Route 440, the venue is an $18-million new construction that brings 100 jobs and an estimated $200,000 in property taxes to the city of Bayonne. The location was originally selected by the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority because of robust lottery sales, a large player database of horseplayers in the Staten Island market and strong community support.
Ninety per cent of the McLoone’s Bayonne Grille staff is comprised of local residents. The Bayonne location marks the family’s second venture into the off-track wagering business, with Favorites at Woodbridge being the first. The partnership is a natural one for Jersey Shore musician Tim McLoone. His family has been involved in horse racing for decades and, in fact, his father had at one time headed both Freehold Raceway in New Jersey, as well as the now-defunct Bowie Racecourse in Maryland.
Tim McLoone opened his first restaurant, McLoone's Rum Runner, in Sea Bright, New Jersey in 1987 and the brand operates eight locations with the addition of Bayonne. Other McLoone’s properties are McLoone's Pier House in Long Branch and National Harbor, Maryland, McLoone's Asbury Grille, Tim McLoone's Supper Club and McLoone’s Boathouse in West Orange.
SOSH Architects of Atlantic City, New Jersey designed Winners Bayonne. The firm’s myriad credits in the entertainment sector include Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack in PA and Tropicana – The Quarter in Atlantic City.
LP Ciminelli of Buffalo, New York managed construction of the project. The company’s portfolio includes the Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Pennsylvania; Harrington Raceway & Casino in Delaware and Saratoga Racing & Gaming in New York.
Wagering information, menus and opening event details can be found online at winnersbayonne.com.
(Meadowlands)