City Smarts
Atlantic City’s economy is based on hospitality and tourism, with casinos being the principal business. There are 20,000 first class hotel rooms in the Atlantic City area. These include 11 casino resorts, with eight of them along the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk and three of them in the Marina District along the bay. Casinos include big names such as Harrah’s Entertainments’ Harrah’s Resorts Atlantic City, Showboat Resort (which includes a House of Blues entertainment complex), and Bally’s Atlantic City and Caesars Atlantic City. There are three Trump casinos resorts: Trump Plaza, Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Marina. Then there’s also the Tropicana, Atlantic City Hilton, Resorts and The Borgata casinos.
Though Atlantic City’s population is only 30,000 residents -- over 32 million visitors a year swarm the area. There’s the allure of beautiful, clean and well-guarded beaches; fishing, boating and other water sports; an incredible selection of restaurants; several shopping districts in all price levels and Boardwalk Hall, the main entertainment and event arena, which is the top-grossing venue of its size in the world.
Jetsetter
Rita and Anthony “Tony” Mack, own three area McDonald’s Restaurants and Rita serves on several local Boards of Directors. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, the couple relocated to Atlantic City in 1986, for the business opportunity. Upon moving the duo acquired their first McDonalds franchise. “I wanted to own my own business, and felt that the best way to accomplish that was to relocate to an area promising growth and tourism,” says Rita. Looking back 23 years ago, she says that it was a fruitful decision. “Business has been strong, the city has grown, and though casinos business is declining, the city is more diverse and the retail industry is strong – we draw off of the strong retail customer base.” One of the couple’s restaurants is located in the center of The Walk, an outdoor retail complex comprised of stores and restaurants. Rita chairs the National McDonalds Operators’ Organization and has traveled to many McDonald’s locations. “AirTran Airways makes it much easier for me to travel to McDonald’s locations,” she noted. Rita has held many leadership positions in the McDonald’s System. In 1988, she helped launch the McDonald’s Women Operator Network (WON) and served as a board member for four years. Currently, Rita serves as Chair & CEO of the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association (NBMOA). The NBMOA is the largest and most successful organization for African American franchisees in the country. NBMOA members own over 1300 restaurants and annual sales exceed $3 billion dollars.
Getting’ Around
Atlantic City is fairly small, and many things that visitors want to do are within walking distance along the Boardwalk. In fact, a stroll on the Boardwalk is one of the prime activities – it’s about four miles long, so there’s plenty to see. If you get tired, distinctive rolling chairs are a great way to see the Boardwalk. The wicker chairs seat two to three people and are pushed by operators!
You can also get around on unique jitneys – 13-passenger buses that travel along Pacific Avenue (the closest street paralleling the beach and Boardwalk).
Survival Kit
Bring good walking shoes and leave the skinny heels at home – they get caught between the boards in the Boardwalk.
Catching ZZZ’s
All of Atlantic City’s casinos have first-class hotel rooms, expansive entertainment and dining options, spas, showrooms, lounges and other resort amenities. The Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel, 2 Convention Blvd., is connected to the Atlantic City Convention Center by a skybridge and serves leisure travelers, including many families, as well as convention goers and business travelers. Business travelers will appreciate the Sheraton Club Guests Rooms and Club Lounge, located on preferred floors. They feature free bottled water, free high speed Internet, oversized desks and ergonomic desk chairs. The Club Lounge provides complimentary breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres on Sunday through Thursday, snacks and beverages throughout the day, PC workstations with high speed Internet access, plus a massage chair and 42-inch flat screen TVs. hors d’oeuvres and a variety of beverages. It’s the perfect environment to meet with your team! For more information, call 609-344-3535 or visit www.sheraton.com/atlantic city.
The Power Lunch
The Continental, located at the Pier shops at Caesar unfolds creative martinis and global tapas menu with specialties like lobster mashed potatoes and crab pad Thai. For more information, call 609-674-8300 or visit www.continentalac.com.
Cultural Chow
Angelo’s Fairmount Tavern is a third-generation-run establishment in Atlantic City’s old Italian neighborhood, with specialties such as spinach with garlic and artichoke hearts, pastas and antipasti’s. For more information, call 609-344-2439 or visit www.angelosfairmounttavern.com.
Cyber Site
Atlantic City Cyber Café, 3101 Boardwalk, provides a spot to connect your laptop to their wireless, plus printers, scan, cam and more. Or, there are computers in site! For more information, call 609-572-1110 or visit wwwatlanticcitycybercafe.com.
Networkin’
Palm Atlantic City, 2801 Pacific Ave., is an ideal place to network, over a classic steak house or jumbo Nova Scotia lobster. Private rooms and an accommodating bar lend a perfect setting for meetings. For mor einformation, call 609-344-7256 or visit www.thepalm.com.
To De-Stress
The Red Door Spa and The Pool at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City is an elegant spa and a year-round tropical paradise with a 29,000 gallon pool surrounded by 6 hot tubs, 50-seat bar and a million dollars worth of tropical foliage under a 90-foot high glass dome! For more information, call 609-441-5000 or visit www.harrahsresort.com.
Footloose & Fancy-free
Enjoy the beautiful beach and Boardwalk! In season, there are beach bars on the beach in front of Bally’s, Trump Plaza and the Atlantic City Hilton. Shopping, dining, entertainment is available at The Quarter at Tropicana, an eclectic mix of shops, and restaurants with cuisines from around the world, nightclubs, and more! The Pier Shops at Caesars (three-stories of upscale shopping and fine and casual dining on a pier over the ocean, with an open deck at the end offering panoramic views and an hourly “dancing fountains” show) is located on the Boardwalk across from Caesars Atlantic City. For more information, call 609-345-3100 or visit www.thepiershopsat caesars.com
Flight Time
Atlantic City International Airport is now serviced by Airtran Airways. AirTran Airways offers daily, non-stop flights to more than 56 major U.S. cities. For more information, call 1-800-AIR-TRAN or visit www.airtran.com.
Someone Helpful
The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) has experts available to help you with all of your questions at 1-888-AC-VISIT..
Editor’s note: Publicist and travel writer Regina Lynch-Hudson has penned destination catalogs and articles for companies such as Vacation Express, AirTran Airways and North American Airlines. She also organizes cultural press trips, and handles destination marketing for resorts, bed and breakfasts, and tourism boards. Visit www.thewritepublicist.com.
