The new Las Vegas Boulevard Gateway Arches in front of the Strat have been building buzz and attracting Instagrammers and Vegas sightseers. And while one purpose of the 80-foot-tall illuminated structure—fabricated and installed by YESCO—might be to delineate between Clark County and the City of Las Vegas, the real winner is the North Strip. Because now, there’s another big, bright reason for tourists to cruise toward the intersection of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.

Sahara Las Vegas will be installing something new out there next year. Continuing its $150 million transformation, the resort recently announced its plans for a restaurant row development that will stretch across the northwestern portion of the casino. The Beers & Bets eatery and sportsbook space—known as Umami Burger in the SLS days—and the Club 101 bar and lounge will be taken over by a variety of new restaurants, most notably the first West Coast location of Philadelphia-based sports bar Chickie’s & Pete’s.

It will feature a climate-controlled outdoor space, designed so folks can watch and bet on sports while enjoying signature dishes like crab fries and lobster pie pizza. And while it hasn’t been decided exactly which new restaurant concepts might also have patio space, the Sahara will round out its restaurant row with original Chinese cuisine concept Noodle Den, an Italian spot and another eatery to be determined.

“By bringing in popular, yet new-to-market brands, as well as developing concepts that are unique to Sahara, we are creating a culinary experience unlike any other in Las Vegas that will hold wide appeal for culinary connoisseurs and casual foodies alike,” says Anthony Olheiser, vice president of food and beverage.

The resort that first opened in 1952 returned to its original name in August 2019, after the Meruelo Group purchased the property in 2017 and began making significant changes to the casino and hotel. The new restaurants are expected to complement the acclaimed Bazaar Meat by José Andrés—the lone holdover from SLS era—but an even bigger step in establishing Sahara’s new identity is set to take place earlier in the spring, when Magic Mike Live opens on March 26.

The male dance revue co-created by actor Channing Tatum and co-produced by Base Entertainment opened at the Hard Rock Hotel in 2017 and quickly became one of the most successful new Vegas shows of the past several years. Tickets went on sale last month for the updated version of the show in the brand-new, 450-seat Magic Mike Theater at Sahara, which has a two-story bar that will become part of the performance and a separate lounge for pre- and post-show partying.

The proven success of Magic Mike Live should give Sahara something it hasn’t had in at least a decade: a recognizable resident show with a reliable audience demographic.

“That’s a big part of why we decided to go there,” says the show’s executive producer Vincent Marini. “One reason was the commitment and excitement and passion for the project that [the resort ownership] has for it and how they felt it would make sense with the Sahara brand. The fact that it will be the centerpiece of entertainment offerings there for years to come was important to us. And the Sahara is a bit more boutique, so they are willing to do a lot of exciting things that might be more challenging in larger casinos.”