Hollywood Casino to revamp on-site restaurant, renamed Hops House 99, focus on craft beer

REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Hollywood Casino on Wednesday announced that they would be shutting down the Celebrity Bar & Grill, the restaurant inside the casino, and will be reopening a fully-revamped restaurant dubbed Hops House 99.

Taking advantage of Maine’s booming craft beer industry, Hollywood Casino general manager Jose Flores said that in response to the trend, the new restaurant will offer 99 different craft beers — from breweries right here in Bangor, to other state and national craft breweries.

“One of the industries that has really taken off in the past few years in Maine is craft brewing, and for good reason,” said Flores, in a press release. “We have some really talented brewers in this state putting out a great product, and we’re excited to be able to give our customers – both our local customers and visitors to the area – a taste of what Maine has to offer.”

Hops House 99 plans to make Maine-made products available as much as possible with its food offerings. The menu will have a variety of American food, pub fare, entrees, sandwiches, salads, and more. The beer selection will have about a third of the brews available on tap, a few of which will offer a rotating selection of Maine brews. The rest will be in bottles or cans, alongside a selection of national domestic favorites.

The former Celebrity Bar & Grill opened in 2014. According to Flores, Hollywood Casino has decided to change the look and offerings of the restaurant due to the continued popularity of Maine beer.

“We love local,” said Flores. “We live here, we work here, and we spend our dollars here. We’re excited about Maine-made products, so we’re going to focus on them.”

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.