Premier Business Partners:

Distant Lands Coffee

In 2002, the Silver Reef Hotel, Casino and Spa brought the Las Vegas experience to the Pacific Northwest, with its gourmet dining establishments, full-service spa and more than 50,000 square feet of gaming. The casino features more than 600 of the newest slot machines and 21 of the most popular table games.

The Silver Reef Hotel features 105 guest rooms, including six suites. In addition, there are five diverse dining options and two separate entertainment venues.

The property’s high-end restaurant, The Steak House at Silver Reef, has earned a reputation for gourmet dining, professional presentations and tableside preparation.

It has a wine list in excess of 100 varieties, according to Director of Food and Beverage Joe DeAndrea.

The Red River Café is the property’s family style restaurant, and offers one of the Northwest’s finest buffet presentations and a wide variety of menu items. Panasia is the casino’s Asian outlet, which offers a wide spectrum of dishes, also in a family style.

The Silver Reef’s Gold Rush Deli features a variety wholesome sandwiches and desserts made fresh every day, in addition to pizza, coffee and more, DeAndrea says.

The casino’s bars and lounges offer unique drinks and entertainment for guests. Portage Bay Bar & Lounge offers both dining and weekend dancing, when it hosts popular local bands. All restaurants and bars at the Silver Reef offer a number of drink specials, as well, DeAndrea says.

Passionate About Food
Silver Reef’s Executive Chef Tom Hull oversees the operations of all restaurants and has helped drive the casino’s food and beverage sales.

“Passion for our work and attention to detail help drive our continued sales increases,” Hull says. “We have good people and we care about our guests.”

DeAndrea says Hull is both respected and highly regarded in Whatcom County.

The food and beverage leadership ensures all menus are fresh by forcing themselves to review and change offerings twice per year. “There are many details involved in changing menus,” DeAndrea admits. “But, we have numerous tastings and comparisons to ensure we have the finest quality food and that we’re ahead of our competitors.”

Endless Entertainment
The Pavilion is the Silver Reef’s largest entertainment venue and has been the host of top-name performers such as Air Supply, Christopher Cross, Pablo Cruz and many others.

With a capacity of approximately 450 people, the Pavilion routinely hosts beautiful weddings and private parties, as well. “We also host a number of Christmas parties in the big room,” DeAndrea explains. “We’re booked solid and have to look further and further down the calendar for openings.”

Gaming Expansion
This year, the Silver Reef is embarking on a 9,000-square-foot expansion of its gaming space which will include a new Italian themed deli called Pizzanini.

The new deli will specialize in pizzas and paninis, and is slated to open in December of this year. There will also be a new coffee area called the Barista, explains DeAndrea.

‘Going For Great’
DeAndrea calls the Silver Reef’s atmosphere fun and outgoing. Employees put the customer first, and the casino requires each new teammate to attend an orientation seminar called Going for Great before beginning their jobs.

“Every new employee takes the class. It’s where they learn what we expect of them, as well as what they can expect from us,” DeAndrea explains.

As a result of the Silver Reef’s dedicated employees, DeAndrea expects the operation will continue to grow well into the future. “Five years from now, we should still be expanding and growing,” he states. “We plan to continue our growth and continue to make a significant contribution to the Lummi Nation.”