Hard Rock Casino announces plan for live events center as part of $65 million expansion

Opened in just 2019, the Sacramento-area’s newest casino is already a regional landmark. And Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Wheatland is already planning to get bigger.

This month, the casino announced the construction of a new concert and events center with seating for more than 2,500 people. The casino is also adding a large gas station, convenience store and smoke shop on the property.

The demand certainly seems to be there for the expansion. The Hard Rock served 2 million patrons in the last year and employed hundreds in the region. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hard Rock donated 2,000 units of Personal Protective Equipment to local hospitals and $100,000 of perishable foods to food-insecure Sacramentans.

Hard Rock hopes to coalesce these axes within its events center and service center. Both projects represent a $65 million investment and will generate upwards of 450 jobs, 250 in construction and 200 for full- and part-time staff. Hard Rock expects the endeavors to bring further publicity and revenue to the Sacramento area.

“We have a 20-year vision here with multiple phases,” President Mark Birtha said. “The only reason we’re able to do this expansion phase is because our employees worked so hard the last year and have done a great job bringing authentic experiences that our guests love.”

“But, more importantly,” Birtha added, “we’re going to take all these funds and continue to reinvest in the property and to grow it to the benefit of everybody, truly everybody, in the overall community — from hiring to economic investment, to building, to tourism.”

The events center, Hard Rock Live, will be located north of the current property, adjacent to its existing Kumi Events Center. The construction is massive — the building will cover 65,000 square feet and will have more than 2,500 seats. The building’s second level will incorporate a mezzanine and VIP boxes. Hard Rock predicts the site will become Northern California’s premier entertainment venue, Birtha said.

The name Hard Rock Live connotes a musical space; Hard Rock sees more potential. The building will be a multi-purpose space for both small and large-scale events. Hard Rock Live will host everything from concerts and intimate bands to boxing and MMA fights. Patrons will be able to reserve the space for meetings, marketing promotions, conventions and catered events. Working in tandem with the Kumi Events Center, Hard Rock Live will host bigger crowds than ever before.

“It benefits the community in so many different ways,” Birtha said, “Sacramento is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, and we have so much population. But we don’t have a lot of different amenities in the Northern California system; Southern California has Disneyland, for instance. We hope to provide more opportunities for the Northern California population to have more things that they want to do in their own community.”

Hard Rock’s second construction continues that mission: Rocktane Gas & Smoke will be the second Hard Rock-branded gas station and the first on the West Coast. Hard Rock will construct Rocktane southwest of its main property along Forty Mile Road. The site occupies 45,000 square feet. Rocktane Gas & Smoke will include a convenience store, drive-through and smoke shop.

Even the gas pumps will get the glitzy treatment, with LED screens broadcasting music videos and commercials for entertainment. Along with its notoriety, the construction’s features should increase tourism in the area.

“We want to continue to diversify and bring new amenities to the area,” Birtha said. “It makes perfect sense, given that we’re literally right off the highway. We have a lot of traffic coming to this area — an economic investment and expansion opportunity.”

Socially and economically, Birtha said the Hard Rock strives to uplift the community. It’s a symbiotic relationship: Hard Rock provides for the community that allows it to thrive.

Chairwoman of the Enterprise Rancheria Tribe Glenda Nelson brought community contribution to a more intimate level:

“We work with all the local governments and to make sure that we’re a community partner and that we’re informed,” Nelson said. “In the Foothill communities and around Yuba County, we’ve had severe fires. One of the main things that we noticed is that we didn’t have any gas stations. When all the lights go out, when the fires happen, they’re bringing in fire trucks for all the different emergencies. Our gas station will have a backup generator. Hard Rock Live will be an emergency shelter. There are other reasons why we do a lot of the stuff that we do.”

In anticipation of the construction work, Hard Rock is seeking employees. Hard Rock is hosting open interviews for all hourly positions every Tuesday from 10 am to 1 pm at its career center with on-the-spot hiring. Hiring bonuses for cooks and bartenders start at $1,000; bonuses are $500 for front desk agents and janitorial services.

Rocktane will open in November. Hard Rock Live will open in May of 2022.