To celebrate the 25th birthday of its flagship casino in Onamia, the Mille Lacs Band Of Ojibwe has announced a series of upgrades for their two Minnesota gaming properties set to include overhauls to their gaming floors.

The Grand Casino Mille Lacs opened in 1991 before the tribe inaugurated a second facility in Hinckley a year later, with both now due to be significantly expanded. As part of these plans, the Onamia casino is to soon feature the 4,600 sq foot Brand Burger Bar sports-themed eatery alongside the 1991 Kitchen, which will be a 7,075 sq ft casual food outlet named in honor of the property’s opening year.

“Twenty-five years ago, the Mille Lacs Band had a vision of what Grand Casino Mille Lacs could contribute to the Mille Lacs area but few people could have imagined how significant that impact would become,” said Joe Nayquonabe, Jr, CEO for the tribe’s business arm, Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures. “When a business approaches a large milestone anniversary like this, you often think of what else could be.”

For its part, the Grand Casino Hinckley will see the addition near the entrance to its convention area of the 7,425 sq ft Stories Diner, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, while both properties are to have their buffet areas re-branded as Grand Provisions and re-styled as food halls offering a wide variety of cuisines.

“We knew we could make that experience even better and the improvements we announced today will really raise the bar for dining in the region,” said Tracy Sam, general manager for the Grand Casino Mille Lacs.

The Mille Lacs Band Of Ojibwe stated that further upgrades for the properties’ casino floors are to include “everything from the ceiling and light fixtures to the wall treatments, carpets and property signage”.