In anticipation of the March opening of its mega pool complex, Pechanga Resort & Casino will launch its next wave of hiring with a job fair Thursday.
Pechanga is looking to fill nearly 200 positions for the new Pool Bar & Grille and 4.5-acre pool area called The Cove. The job fair, which will take place in morning and late afternoon sessions, is the latest large-scale push to add 750 employees as part of the casino resort’s $285 million expansion.
With the Dec. 22 soft opening of Pechanga’s 568-room hotel tower, spa and Lobby Bar restaurant, the bulk of the new hires are already on the job, many of them having attended job fairs held over the summer.
Pechanga’s expansion comes amid a casino building boom in the San Diego area that’s estimated at $1 billion. But officials at the Temecula casino cited other reasons driving its decision to enhance hiring incentives.
“We know we’re in an employee’s market right now,” said Shannon Weidauer, Pechanga’s vice president of human resources operations, in a statement announcing the job fair.
“It’s fantastic that unemployment levels are down so low, though we’ve also found we’re drawing similar applicants looking for jobs at Temecula’s wineries and those are expanding, too. The region is growing at such a fast rate, quality candidates are recruited very quickly.”
To fill the available remaining positions — including lifeguards, pool attendants, pool food and drink servers and restaurant managers — as well as retain its 4,500-plus employees, Pechanga said it offers competitive pay and a recently boosted benefits package. Among the new company perks added in 2017 are a free meal for every scheduled shift, college tuition reimbursement, accelerated accrual for paid time off and increased medical and dental benefits for full-time and select part-time employees.
Thursday’s job fair will be held from 8 a.m. to noon and from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Eagle’s Nest, Pechanga’s rooftop lounge (45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula). Job candidates should first apply online at pechanga.com/careers and bring their resume with them. Those with questions can call (877) 711-2946.
In other casino expansion news, Pala Casino Spa & Resort on Monday announced the opening of a new restaurant concept called Bar Meets Grill.
The California casual eatery replaced The Cave lounge and restaurant as part of its $170 million top-to-bottom renovation and hotel, spa and pool expansion.
Bar Meets Grill is open for lunch, dinner and offers a daily happy hour. In addition to a Kobe burger, customized pizza and seared ahi tuna, there are 50 wines offered by the glass. Pala’s underground wine Cave is unaffected by the change.
Viejas Casino & Resort, meanwhile, is in the last stages of its expansion project, with its new Willows Hotel & Spa slated to open Feb. 1. Sometime in mid-February, Barona Resort & Casino will unveil its modest expansion and remodeling project. And Valley View Casino & Hotel will launch a year-long, $50 million casino expansion and remodel.