Ontario restaurant puts video poker on the menu
Saturday, May 3, 2003 10:00 PM PDT
Kristy's Diner installs five Oregon Lottery machines
Tami Hart
Argus Observer
ONTARIO
After almost four months of wrangling with the Ontario Planning Commission and Ontario City Council, Tom Seabaugh's vision of video poker machines in Kristy's Diner, Ontario, has finally become a reality.
April 21 the Ontario City Council approved an ordinance, on first reading by title only, amending Ontario Municipal Code Section 10A-27-05 which would allow lottery machines within the C-1 neighborhood commercial zoning district in which Kristy's is
located.
Previously, city code only allowed lottery and video poker machines in establishments with a level one liquor license, such as Brewsky's Broiler, Ontario, and Rusty's Pancake and Steak House, Ontario.
Seabaugh, the new owner of the Kristy's Diner, installed five video poker machines in the newly-remodeled back section of the diner April 23.
Seabaugh, who lives in Meridian, said he took ownership of Kristy's in January, with the hope of subsidizing his income from the restaurant by installing Oregon Lottery products.
"I have a friend in the Rogue Valley who has a number of establishments that include Oregon lottery products that he does quite well with," Seabaugh said.
Still, Seabaugh stresses his business will be a restaurant first, and a video poker establishment second.
"We have a very established clientele for the breakfast and lunch trade," he said. The restaurant, which now seats 65, is packed during those hours, Seabaugh said.
He anticipates that will not change. What will probably change, he said, is the afternoon and evening trade.
Seabaugh said he closes the grill at 2 p.m. and switches over to a deli menu of sandwiches and baskets of chicken strips and finger steaks.
"I think our evening customers will be somewhat different, because there will be more players that come in to have a light snack and want to play the video poker and Keno," Seabaugh said.
People who come into the restaurant expecting a full dinner menu will probably be disappointed, he said. Adding a full evening meal requires an experienced chef, which Seabaugh said is difficult to find in this area.
"Our focus is to maintain the quality breakfast and lunch menu that we have and then focus on the Oregon Lottery products in the afternoons and evenings," Seabaugh said.
The five machines Seabaugh installed are the maximum allowed by the Oregon Lottery, which strictly monitors machines across the state.
"They can tell, to the penny, how much is in each one of those machines," Seabaugh said.
The percentage of profits that the state recovers is based on a graduated scale on the video poker. The state takes 65 percent of what is in the machine, Seabaugh said.
Seabaugh has already paid out a large jackpot, in the short time the machines have been in his establishment.
"The first or second day the machines were in, before I even had a chance to play them, someone won $600 right off the bat," he said. The machines, however, do not pay out in cash. Winners receive a printed receipt which is turned in to restaurant staff for cash
payment, Seabaugh said.
Seabaugh said the diner has expanded its hours and is now open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Tami Hart is a reporter for the Argus Observer. She can be contacted at (541) 889-5387, or by e-mail, TamiH@argusobserver.com.
