Graton Casino unveils $1B expansion featuring $40M flagship restaurant, rooftop dining, and sports bar

The largest and most ambitious addition is Aya, a 28,000-square-foot restaurant and bar designed with two terraces overlooking Sonoma Mountain and the surrounding hills. The $40 million project includes a walk-through wine tunnel and a $1 million cellar.

The menu will center on coastal California cuisine with Asian accents, highlighting local oysters, wild-caught seafood and meats — including Japanese Wagyu — cooked over a wood-burning grill. Produce and other ingredients will also be drawn from the resort’s 40-acre farm, according to a news release.

Renderings depict a warm, contemporary interior with amber and chocolate-brown tones, gold accents, and layered lighting to evoke a polished night-out atmosphere.

In a notable shift, Aya will feature a dedicated exterior entrance, allowing diners to bypass the casino floor — and the smoking areas that have long posed a challenge for some guests. The expansion also includes a 144,000-square-foot non-smoking gaming floor.

Playbook Sports Bar, another addition, is built around a central bar wrapped in television screens, with additional wall-mounted displays and individual table screens. The menu leans classic and crowd-pleasing: Detroit-style pizza, Buffalo wings and a pastrami bánh mì with pickled vegetables and Kewpie mayonnaise. Soco Dough, the third concept, brings a high-gloss dessert bar sensibility to the property. 

To support the expansion, the resort plans to hire more than 430 employees, including 160 culinary and beverage professionals who will work alongside the Ellamars.

The casino currently operates four full-service restaurants: 630 Park Steakhouse, Bistro 101, Boathouse Asian Eatery and Tony’s of North Beach. Its marketplace includes outlets such as The Habit Burger Grill, Starbucks, La Texanita, Slice House, and Everett & Jones Barbeque.