Vol. 4, No. 4, April 2008
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Building Boudler Hwy.
Hunsucker readies to open Eastside Cannery
Some, in a good-natured way, may also question his glutton for punishment. The 26-year gaming veteran launches another opening, his second, on behalf of brand new Eastside Cannery. Before its August debut, Hunsucker will hire about 150 employees, purchase the equipment, run the orientation and approve every element of a department sporting 26 games.
Eastside projects an operation of more than 300 rooms and suites, 2,200 slot machines and a budget of more than $200 million. Hunsucker began his promotion in March, changing from table games shift manager at the Cannery to Table Games Director at the new property.
“It’s quite an exciting time,” Hunsucker says. “Everybody is in a totally different mode. There’s a buzz all the time. Everybody is working hard, putting in a lot of hours, some of us are doing 15 and 16. Some people don’t like doing openings. I find them enjoyable.”
The Northern Nevada native began his Las Vegas tenure by helping to open the Excalibur. Nearly two decades later, the phenomenon returns. While some equate casino openings with labor pains, he loves the adrenaline rush. And, it’s actually Hunsucker’s wife Cindy who is scheduled to give birth to the couple’s third child, a boy, April 7.
That gives Chuck Hunsucker the double aura of a new child and a new property. More people now compete for his attention, but Hunsucker has always managed the juggling act.
“The biggest thing you learn in this business is, my God, patience,” Hunsucker says. “You need to be able to manage different personalities, it’s hugely important. You figure that everyday life puts thousands of different people together. You will get a sampling of that in the workplace.
“You will get that guy who is a little bit of a pain in the butt, so how do you handle that? I like to get to know the person, find out something about his family, see the human side, get an idea of his potential and what he goes through on a daily basis. You will find something to work.”
Hunsucker laughs, considering how long the magic has been working for him.
“I used to think the way a lot of younger employees do now,” he observes. “When I started, people would tell me they were in the business 30 years and I thought they had lost their mind.
“You have no idea how this business grips you. I refer to it as the job with the golden handcuffs. At first, you might do it to get some money to put you through college. Then you realize how the money is so good, you’re not out in the sun sweating everyday and the next thing you know you keep doing it and doing it. There’s no way you can just give that up.”
Hunsucker instead moved up. He became increasingly proficient and now speaks glowingly of several company executives.
“What really helps is knowing that you really like the people you work for,” Hunsucker says. “They are the nicest bunch of people you ever would want to work for. They care about their people and they will stop to talk to you. Really, they are incredibly nice.”
So, by their evaluations, is he.
