By ST Paulman
Winner Garry D. Johnson and wife with Dodge Challenger
Central City’s The Famous Bonanza Casino and its sister casino, Easy Street, made Garry D. Johnson of Fort Collins nearly cry on Sunday, Sept. 12, when he won the 2010 Dodge Challenger Giveaway Finale.
His wife did cry—tears of joy as she instantly phoned her family from the front of Easy Street to tell them Garry had won the gleaming red Challenger. Garry was stunned by his big moment of good fortune and said, “I feel wonderful.”
Earlier that evening The Famous Bonanza had selected 10 names in a ticket drawing from hundreds of entries and each contest participant was issued a car key to the Challenger. Only one key fit the lock in the driver’s door of the car to open it. Garry had that key.
Dodge Challenger
The Challenger Giveaway was so popular it was literally a traffic-stopper in Central City. A huge crowd had gathered around the gorgeous red car decked out with celebratory red, black and white balloons before the Giveaway Finale in front of Easy Street Casino.
As the winner, Garry had a tough decision to make, to claim the car or take $18,500 cash instead. Garry did what any law-abiding Ford man would do — he took the cash.
Marketing Manager Danielle Froio of The Famous Bonanza and Easy Street, two local family-owned casinos located at 107 and 120 Main Street respectively, grinned when she recalled the high spirited but controlled commotion of the Challenger Giveaway event.
It was the first car giveaway by Bonanza and proved to be such a successful promotion over the last two months that another giveaway may be repeated. She simply smiled and said in a classic understatement, “It was good.”
GM Ann Dawson of Bonanza and Easy Street
Froio knows her promotions having spent seven years in the gaming business and the last 10 months with the two sister casinos. She’s considering a variety of promotions for next month in October – be watching for the next fabulous Famous giveaway.
General Manager Ann Dodson, a member of the family that owns the two casinos, said the Bonanza and Easy Street has, combined, 500 slots and video poker machines, and table games available for play daily from 8 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Both The Famous Bonanza and Easy Street casinos are located in historic buildings with interiors retrofitted to modern amenities. This lends an intimate and cozy atmosphere for players to comfortably settle into for a day or evening of gaming. Bonanza completed its recent site expansion and offers even more playing area.
The two casinos each have a deli or restaurant, which offer dining options to their guests. Stella’s in The Famous Bonanza offers a quick bite to eat with sandwiches and chips. Millie’s in Easy Street is a relaxed, full-service restaurant offering a wide selection of great food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Millie’s dining choices include: $5 snacks ranging from a hearty breakfast burrito to green chili cheese fries; a unique bleu bison burger sandwich for $7.99; and an entree of the house special, delicious honey dipped southern fried chicken for $9.99. Appetizing soups, salads and desserts are also available.
Easy Street boasts the Gold Coin Saloon, a historic bar established in the late 1890s with swinging half-doors, just like in the movies. It’s a full-service, non-gaming bar with a historic surprise: pinned to the wooden slat ceiling above the bar are hundreds of U.S. legal tender bills, ranging from $10, $5 and $1 bills.
It’s a tradition the local miners originally founded in the 1890s to help out victims of mining catastrophes—a sort of ceiling slush fund to assist the miners’ families. Every Lou Bunch Day celebration in June may find more money pinned to the ceiling.
Easy Street’s hidden treasure is in its lower level, an arcade for families.
Dawson said, “You gotta have a place for kids and patrons,” and the casino offers that place. The arcade is accessible by either stairs or an elevator from the casino and offers television and games for up to 50 kids. The arcade is understandably a crowded place on the weekends.
It’s an incredibly “nice service” provided for both of the casinos’ patrons and their families by a family-owned casino. Their family welcomes your family to their place.
Contact Danielle at 303-582-5914 for more information on the two casinos or visit www.famousbonanza.com. The next time you’re in Central City, stop by and visit these two grand gambling halls.
