"Major Food Group will be coordinating the planned more than a dozen restaurants and bars, and a multi-vendor food court."
"In 2023, Todd Leong, owner of Leaf Bar in Flushing, had an encounter with the Metropolitan Park team that was more "extractive" than "collaborative." He attended a meeting that he had thought would focus on ways the community and casino could work together. He says it became apparent that the meeting's host, BJH Advisors, was conducting "market research" through a questionnaire that asked about, for instance, his bar's customer patterns. He refused to answer."
"Metropolitan Park, in particular, has been rife with political dealings and lobbying between legislators and casino developers: The industry spent over $2 million in 2024 and $1.92 million in the first half of 2025. The people who it may affect most have had the least say: the longtime local community of predominantly Hispanic and Asian immigrant residents who have felt silenced through official channels."
"In 2013, after decades of casinos' lobbying efforts to enter New York State, then-Governor Andrew Cuomo approved the build-out of four casinos upstate and after seven years, three downstate. In 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul fast-tracked downstate licenses, kickstarting an application frenzy and record lobbying from casino bidders: $138 million in 2024. Last year, the NYS Gaming Commission approved licenses to Metropolitan Park and Resorts World in Queens, and Bally's Corporation in the Bronx."
Major Food Group will coordinate dining for the $8 billion Metropolitan Park casino in Flushing, including more than a dozen restaurants and bars and a multi-vendor food court. The casino project faces ongoing political opposition, including a March 2026 lawsuit and a congressional campaign against it. Some local business owners report being treated with scorn, describing meetings that shifted from collaboration to “market research” via questionnaires about customer patterns. One owner refused to answer. The casino licensing process in New York involved lobbying and fast-tracked downstate approvals, followed by Gaming Commission license approvals for multiple projects. Metropolitan Park has drawn scrutiny for political dealings, while predominantly Hispanic and Asian immigrant residents report feeling silenced through official channels and express concerns about residential and commercial impacts.
#casino-development #restaurant-industry #local-business-impact #political-lobbying #queens-new-york
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