Tao is back and right on time. The standard-setting, scene-making restaurant, bar, lounge and nightclub complex at the Venetian made its debut on the Strip 15 years ago, on September 22, 2005, with its first-ever Worship Thursdays industry party.
Tao’s restaurant reopens October 1 at 5:30 p.m. for the first time since the pandemic shutdown spilled across the Strip in March, and Worship Thursdays is slated to return October 8 at 10 p.m. with dinner, bottle service and a DJ on duty in the lounge.
Nothing can stop a great party.
“It will be a smaller version, because it will be in the restaurant lounge, but it should be a great experience nonetheless,” says Jason Strauss, one of the managing partners of the Tao Group. “And then on the weekends in the nightclub space, we’re planning on doing something similar to what we’ve been offering at Marquee, sort of a lounge environment in a club space. It’s a pretty cool thing that we’re able to open up a week or so from our 15th anniversary—good timing and meaningful in a lot of ways.”
Strauss famously came to Las Vegas from New York City to open what would become the Tao Group’s flagship venue, planning to stay in the desert for only a few months to get things off the ground. He ended up being the company’s Vegas point man and calling this strange city his home, and looking back, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Being in Vegas was a huge part of the success of my career and the success of the Tao Group. We already had an extremely successful and high-grossing restaurant in New York City, but once we opened in Vegas, it put us on a national scale with so many people from different parts of the country able to experience the brand,” Strauss says. “From that success we built the courage and credibility to move on to many more projects and brands in different markets, and from Vegas we met so many amazing guests and partners that allowed us to think about going to LA, Chicago, Sydney and Singapore.”
As the first all-encompassing nightlife venue, Tao hasn’t just survived in the highly competitive Strip landscape. It has maintained its grasp on the title and remained relevant throughout its Las Vegas existence, setting trends in music and programming every step of the way.
“I think it’s not really about programming. That is secondary, just noise based on the time,” Strauss says. “The thing I’m most proud of is just the consistency, the gracious hospitality the management and culinary team have been able to deliver year after year. Consistency keeps people coming back.”
Everyone can recall at least one unforgettable night, celebrity sighting or wild party from their own personal collection of (possibly hazy) Tao memories. Some of us could point to the legendary 2007 MTV Awards afterparty, when the club may or may not have stolen the thunder from the event hosting property, the Palms.
“That was a different time. People were just learning about Vegas, and now people are really educated and expecting a lot from Vegas because it evolved so quickly, and that should be the standard,” Strauss says. When pressed to reveal one of his favorite nights, he names the 10-year anniversary party when all the company’s partners were in town and many friends from New York and around the world flew in to celebrate. “After getting to that mark and collectively being proud of what we accomplished, that really shined for me. It’s a shame we’re not going to have a huge party for our 15th to maybe take over that memory, but we’ll definitely do the best we can and still deliver a great experience for our guests.”
Officials held off on opening the restaurant earlier, because it’s such a big space, but the Tao Group’s other Venetian/Palazzo venue, the Italian restaurant Lavo, has been back in business since June and taking advantage of expansive outdoor dining space. Like many other major renovation projects on the Strip, the extensive makeover of the Tao Beach space has been delayed indefinitely, but Strauss says the company and the resort are completely committed to getting it done.
Expect to see Tao continue to do what it has always done in terms of capturing the current energy of Las Vegas, and right now that means connecting to football. The club space will host watch parties for Raiders games and other sports events, adding in its own culinary touches to the experience.
