From a pioneering nightclub to family-friendly pizza, Billy Richardson has been a force on the Las Vegas Strip for about three decades. Now he’s taken a long-time Strip property, Holsteins Shakes & Buns, to the neighborhood. The Arts District, to be precise.
“That’s what I really wanted to do – something for the locals,” Richardson revealed on the Food & Loathing podcast.
Richardson’s Gen3 Hospitality reflects his status as a third-generation Las Vegan who’s been at or close to the leading edge of Las Vegas’ transition from low-rise gambling halls to the canyon of mega resorts that form today’s Vegas Strip.
His father, Bill Richardson, Sr., was a top executive with Mandalay Resort Group, the original builder and operator of Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Excalibur and the Monte Carlo. Bill Junior, also known as Billy, was a unique kind of pioneer in that era. He opened Ra in Luxor, one of the first nightclubs on The Strip.
“I was really, I mean, at 24, you know, [part of] a $7 million nightclub, and I had no idea what was going on.”
He did fondly remember a few acts. “Yeah, George Clinton and the P Funk All Stars there.”
Billy has put aside his club life in favor of marriage, fatherhood and food.
“I grew up in this business, so I like to serve people. I like people eating my food and drinking and having a good time and hearing and saying, ‘oh, we like going there’.”
Richardson’s first place was LBS Burger Joint in the Red Rock Hotel/Casino.
“It was great, and we were killing it until the financial crisis happened. And then it just killed everything,” he said. Almost overnight, LBS went from having two-hour waitlists to serving two covers a day, and Richardson was paying employees out of his own pocket.
“It was scary. It was really scary. But we had some cash, and we were able to pivot, and that’s how we were able to grow the company. So, we were able to do Public House and Pinks, and then Holsteins.
After a more than ten-year run at the Cosmopolitan, Holsteins closed a year ago and has now reopened on Main Street in the Arts District. The décor is a classic blend of steakhouse and neighborhood alcohol consumption facility, featuring plush semi-circle banquets, a long bar, and cameo lighting. But the original takes on burgers and Holsteins’ boozy milkshakes made the trip north.
The Arts District wasn’t on Richardson’s radar until he saw the space that is now Holsteins – and took a deep dive into what the area has become.
“These folks have grinded it out and have created a community down here, just wonderful,” he said.
The biggest bonus: being a Las Vegas local who’s doing something for his fellow locals.
You can hear more about Billy Richardson, his history, the new iteration of Holsteins – and its extensive collection of local beers – on the June 20th edition of the Food & Loathing podcast.
