Circus Circus Names Seven New Food Court Concepts (Mostly Revealed by Signage)

# What happened Circus Circus has posted signage revealing seven new food court concepts intended to replace the closed food court. The previous operator, Feel Good Brands, closed after falling about $2 million behind in rent. Circus Circus opted to start fresh with concepts created by the company that runs Chicho's Tacos at the property.

# Who's running the new concepts Tony Ravelo's company, Ravelo Brands, develops and operates Chicho's Tacos at Circus Circus and several other local concepts (Michoacan Mexican, Michos Tacos, Fresh Mex, Mucho Loco, Poke Studio). Circus Circus tapped Ravelo Brands to create these food court offerings.

# The concepts (signage-based list)

• Sunny Start — breakfast and brunch items, grab-and-go and coffee.
• Anthony's — deli-style sandwiches and subs.
• Parkway Burger — burgers, fries, classic American comfort food.
• Miliana's — Italian comfort dishes, pasta and pizza-style offerings.
• Dragon 88 — Asian fast-casual, wok-fired dishes, bowls and noodles.
• Chixies — chicken-focused menu: sandwiches, tenders, fried-chicken items.
• Salt & Batter — fish-and-chips and British-style battered offerings.

# Why Circus Circus chose original concepts Circus Circus shifted to in-house concepts rather than national franchises for several practical reasons that the article lays out:

• No franchise fees, royalties, or licensing costs.
• Greater control over pricing, staffing, sourcing and menu decisions.
• Faster ability to change or rebrand a failing concept.
• Perceived exclusivity for guests despite lack of national name recognition.

The tradeoff is losing built-in familiarity that national brands bring. The article notes that these concepts are straightforward and likely to be understood by guests even without established brand names.

# Timeline and next steps Circus Circus management expects the food court to reopen in mid-October. The article signals that more official details will be released by the property and that follow-up reporting is expected.

# Context and background This move comes after a public rent dispute: Feel Good Brands had been operating the food court but was significantly behind on rent, which prompted Circus Circus to seek a new arrangement. The property chose a partner with an existing relationship to reduce friction and speed the reopen.

# Practical takeaways for visitors