Rocky Mountain Gaming CC, LLC has opened Nonna's Italiano at Nolon's, a full-service Italian restaurant inside Johnny Nolon's Casino in Cripple Creek, Colo., the company announced May 13. The launch marks the operator's most visible food-and-beverage expansion at the property to date, positioning the dining concept as a retention tool for both gaming patrons and walk-in guests in the historic Colorado mountain gambling district. The restaurant, styled after a classic Italian kitchen, centres on what the company describes as simple, time-honoured recipes executed with consistent quality and accessible price points. No per-cover targets or revenue projections were disclosed at opening. The operator said the concept was developed in direct response to guest feedback about the dining options that historically defined the Cripple Creek casino corridor. Casino-attached restaurants have increasingly become a primary lever for regional gaming operators seeking to extend average visit duration and boost non-gaming revenue per head. According to the American Gaming Association, food and beverage now accounts for a meaningful share of total revenue at smaller commercial casinos, with operators in competitive regional markets under pressure to differentiate on amenity quality rather than floor size alone. Cripple Creek, one of Colorado's three licensed casino towns, hosts roughly two dozen gaming properties competing for a largely drive-market customer base from the Denver metropolitan area. Rocky Mountain Gaming's investment in Nonna's Italiano follows a broader industry pattern in which mid-tier casino operators are upgrading restaurant concepts to counter the amenity advantages of larger resort-style competitors. As covered in [recent F&B operator trend analysis](/restaurants/casino-dining-amenity-arms-race), branded dining increasingly functions as a customer-acquisition channel independent of the gaming floor. The strategy aligns with findings tracked by [Food & Beverage Magazine](https://fb101.com/?utm_source=fbindustrynews&utm_campaign=powered_by) on consumer preference shifts toward perceived value in full-service dining. Regional operators who have invested in identifiable, chef-driven or concept-driven restaurant brands have reported measurable gains in repeat visitation, according to [sector research published in this outlet](/consumer-trends/regional-gaming-fb-investment). The company did not provide staffing figures, seating capacity, or a phased expansion timeline for the new concept. Future menu details and operating hours were directed to the property directly. Written by Michael Politz, Author of [Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1)](https://www.amazon.com/Beverage-Magazines-Guide-Restaurant-Success/dp/1119668964), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.