WICHITA — As always, Phil Ruffin has a lot on his plate, and some things are going better than others.
This week, a federal judge threw out an age discrimination lawsuit against Ruffin’s Treasure Island hotel and casino in Las Vegas.
“We wanted to put a first-class spa in,” Ruffin says of his wife’s namesake Oleksandra Spa & Salon. “Oleksandra was very familiar with that business and wanted a bunch of new things put in.”
That included hiring people with the necessary skill sets, he says.
“The ones who didn’t have the skills sued us,” Ruffin says.
He describes it as a typical headache.
“You get those things all the time. You try not to, but you can’t help it sometimes.”
He’s also added a second Starbucks on his property along with the Margarita Bar, both of which are near Treasure Island’s pirate show on the strip.
“Nine thousand people a night look at that,” Ruffin says. He wants to accommodate each of them with a drink.
Ruffin also is working with Cirque Du Soleil to revamp “Mystere,” one of the most popular Vegas shows, which also is at Treasure Island.
The new show debuts Feb. 12.
“It should be an even better show,” Ruffin says.
Back in Wichita, Ruffin is once again working on getting slots at his closed Wichita Greyhound Park.
“We keep trying,” he says.
He’s now struck a deal with