opened what would later become Palace Station in 1976, marking the beginning of what would grow into a casinos juggernaut in the Las Vegas Valley. 'It's great to be back working with the best company, Station Casinos.'īefore moving to California to open his first restaurant, Villiatora was a personal chef for the Fertitta family, the folks behind the Station Casinos brand.īillionaires Frank Fertitta III and his brother, Lorenzo Fertitta, have carried on their father's legacy with the Station company.įrank Fertitta Jr.

'I'm very excited to be back in Las Vegas, where I lived for 25 years,' Villiatora says. The eccentric chef says the opening defied his expectations. The Hawaiian-themed eatery is Gene Villiatora's first foray into the Las Vegas restaurant scene. LAS VEGAS (KTNV) - A couple of hours after the doors opened at Las Vegas' newest casino - the Durango - a long line developed outside the Ai Pono Cafe inside the resort's 'Eat Your Heart Out' food hall.