When Yuksel Gultekin opened his Turkish restaurant in downtown Edmonton almost 13 years ago, it was a big challenge to convince people to stick around in the evenings to go for dinner.

Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Menu
Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Buffet
Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Nearby
Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Near Me

Hotels near Rogers Place. Rogers Place, 10220 104 Avenue NW, Edmonton, T5J 0H6, AB. Atlas Steak + Fish is located on the second floor of the Grand Villa Casino attached to Rogers Place in Edmonton's ICE District. Please note that we are an 18+ establishment. We are a flirtatious and modern twist on the iconic North American steakhouse. Rogers Place is located in Downtown Edmonton. It's in an artsy neighborhood well known for its theater and restaurants. If you're looking for things to do in the area, you might like to visit Edmonton City Centre and Kingsway Mall. Studio 99 Located inside Rogers Place, Studio 99 offers elevated sports bar dining, both a-la-carte and buffet style, to ensure you don’t miss a minute of the game.

The other big challenge, he said, was the lamb.

'There were not too many independent restaurants,' the chef and owner of Sofra Turkish Restaurant told CBC's Radio Active on Tuesday. 'All of it was franchises, the classics, the steak and potatoes.

'Our best dish was the lamb — and people were not really very open to the lamb.'

In the ensuing years, a few things happened to help get Sofra on its feet.

One was an increasingly adventurous foodie culture that showed its appreciation for fresh ingredients and quality meals, he said. The other was Rogers Place and the Ice District.

Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants

'One of the great things about Rogers Place is that it has exposed people to places that they might not have walked by before,' said Ian O'Donnell, executive director of the Downtown Business Association.

Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Buffet

As evidence of downtown's burgeoning restaurant community, a record number of establishments are participating in Downtown Dining Week, a annual 10-day event that begins on Friday, O'Donnell said. More than 50 restaurants are involved, up from 37 last year.

During the week, participating restaurants create special two- or three-course set meals, priced at $18, $30 or $45, for brunch, lunch or dinner.

'We are encouraging chefs to get creative and they have certainly responded, with some really unique offerings and even some things that are off menu,' O'Donnell said.

Gultekin has participated in Downtown Dining Week for several years and said it deserves credit for helping with the word-of-mouth around his business. The number of new customers at Sofra has increased from 10 per cent of his clientele to about 50 per cent.

Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Nearby

'Fifty per cent are new clients who are coming because of Rogers and because of Downtown Dining Week,' he said.

Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Near Me

And also, he added with a laugh, because of the food. Online benchmark gpu.

'Those people who used to complain about how they hate lamb, they will eat nothing else in my place now,' he said. 'I convert a lot of people and now they are lamb eaters.'

Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Menu

Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Buffet

Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Nearby

Rogers Place Edmonton Casino Restaurants Near Me