Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon Breaks Ground

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METTLER, Calif., Dec. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hard Rock International and the Tejon Indian Tribe celebrated the groundbreaking of the long-awaited hotel and casino located at Hwy. 166 and Sabodan Road West of the community of Mettler, California on Tejon Tribal land. The celebration featured a commemorative shovel groundbreaking with Hard Rock representatives, Tejon Indian Tribe leadership and general membership plus statewide and local community leaders.

"This is an exciting day for the state of California, Kern County and the Tejon Indian Tribe," said Octavio Escobedo, III Chair of the Tejon Indian Tribe. "This groundbreaking is a symbolic ceremony for the Tribe, which was landless for more than 150 years, and has been a priority for us since we were reaffirmed as a federally recognized Indian tribe. From the start of our relationship with the United States government in 1851, our Tribe has fought for a homeland for our people. Today we are one major step closer to the dream of self-determination through economic development. The Tribe would like to thank local community support, the support from Kern County government, the entire California State Legislature, our federal delegation in Washington DC, and especially to Governor Gavin Newsom. Including all the non-governmental organizations, SSCR LLC, Hard Rock International and the Seminole Tribe of Florida who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us to help make our dream of restoring our land base and this groundbreaking possible."

The project is expected to create approximately 2,000 construction-specific jobs and will be managed by the Penta Building Group, a southern California Company. Once both phases are completed, the project is expected to create approximately 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, both full-time and part-time.

"Hard Rock is proud to partner with the Tejon Indian Tribe on creating a world-class entertainment destination," said Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International. "The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon property will be another incredible offering in our West Coast portfolio and we are committed to supporting the local community and creating a lasting positive economic impact for the State of California."

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon will be more than 700,000 square feet of which 150,000 square feet will be gaming space, featuring 2,500 of the most popular slots, 48 table games, and video poker and will be the second closest class III casino to Los Angeles. Multiple dining options, including a signature Hard Rock Cafe and fine dining restaurant Council Oak Steaks and Seafood, a Rock Shop, and much more will be included in phase one. Rounding out the second phase will boast a 400-room hotel, additional fine dining, pool, spa, cigar lounge and 2,800 seat Hard Rock Live event venue that will draw attractions like concert performances, comedy acts and sporting events to name a few. In addition, Hard Rock's signature memorabilia will be on display throughout the property. The anticipated completion date of phase one is expected to be 22 months after the first shovel in the ground. Phase two is expected to be another 20 months and will complete the entire hotel and casino.

For more information about Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon, please visit https://casino.hardrock.com/tejon.

About Tejon Indian Tribe:
The Tejon Indian Tribe is Kern County's only federally recognized Tribe and is led by Chairman Octavio Escobedo, III. The tribe currently consists of 1300 plus members and growing. A vast majority of members reside in Kern County, and many are life-long residents of Bakersfield. The Tejon Tribe's Administrative Offices are located at 4941 David Road south of Bakersfield, located on eight acres and is part of their homeland in addition to the 306 acres at Hwy. 99 and Mettler. Since re-establishing its federally recognized status in 2012, the tribe has focused on strengthening and empowering its citizens through better health care, education, quality housing, and economic development. For more information on the Tejon Indian Tribe, please visit – www.tejonindiantribe.com. 

About Hard Rock^®:

Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in over 70 countries spanning 290 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops^®, Live Performance Venues and Cafes. HRI also launched a joint venture named Hard Rock Digital in 2020, an online sportsbook, retail sportsbook and internet gaming platform. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia at more than 87,000 pieces, which are displayed at its locations around the globe. In 2023, Hard Rock Hotels was honored by J.D. Power's North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study as the number one brand in Outstanding Guest Satisfaction for the fourth time over the last five years. Hard Rock was also honored by Forbes among the World's Best Employers, as well as Best Employers for Women, Diversity and New Grads, Best Brands for social impact, Customer Service All-Star and a Top Large Employer in the Travel & Leisure, Gaming, and Entertainment Industry. HRI became the first privately-owned gaming company designated a U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal in 2021, and has since been honored threefold. In the 2022 Global Gaming Awards, Hard Rock was named Land-Based Operator of the Year for the second time in four years. In 2021, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos received first place ranking in the Casino Gaming Executive Satisfaction Survey conducted by Bristol Associates Inc. and Spectrum Gaming Group for six of the last seven years. Hard Rock International currently holds investment grades from primary investment rating agencies: S&P Global Ratings (BBB) and Fitch Ratings (BBB). For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com.

SOURCE Hard Rock International