Tuesday, August 04 2009
A day after Jillian's Billiards Club shut its doors for good, officials with Casino Aztar said they are in negotiations on a contract with a new business to fill the property.
Jillian's, a part of the Aztar entertainment district across Riverside Drive from the casino, had been open since September 2006. No advance notice to the public was released before it closed Sunday night.
Stacey McNeill, director of marketing for the casino, said she could not divulge the name of the potential new business but that officials are "working on a fast turnaround" on the project.
She declined to elaborate on why Jillian's shut down.
"There is no one real specific reason why," she said. "We're continuing to look to improve our products and our offerings."
Additional information on the new business could come as early as this afternoon or this week, McNeill said.
She said she was "not at liberty to discuss" the type of business that might move in, but said it was not going to be a Dave & Buster's.
The employees at Jillian's were laid off Sunday, McNeill said, adding that the casino has encouraged them to apply for positions at other Aztar restaurants. They were employed by Jillian's and not by the casino, she said.
Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel said he believes the closing was the result of contractual difficulties between Aztar and Jillian's. He said he has heard another national firm will fill the space.
"I can't imagine it will go vacant for very long," Weinzapfel said.
A message left with a spokesman for Jillian's was not immediately returned this morning.
- Gavin Lesnick
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