Graton Resort & Casino has ambitions to become the North Bay’s largest private employer, with plans to hire 430 workers this year.
The Rohnert Park hotel, gambling and restaurant complex is in the midst of a $1 billion, multi-year expansion and will open three new eateries simultaneously on May 4. On Wednesday, it is holding a career fair with the goal of hiring 160 culinary workers, including chefs, cooks, bartenders, servers and managers.
“We are on a hiring frenzy right now,” said Jennifer Murphy-Ellamar, Graton’s vice president of culinary operations.
Graton currently employs 2,440 workers and plans to grow to 3,200 by the completion of the expansion. It’s already one of Sonoma County’s largest employers, along with Kaiser Permanente and St. Joseph Health.
Graton’s strong job growth is a sharp contrast to the rest of the Bay Area economy, which is seeing continued tech layoffs. International tourism is also dropping, a risk for hospitality and restaurant businesses.
The casino’s growth is being fueled by “several million” visitors to Graton in 2025, with visits from members of its loyalty program increasing nearly 10% from 2024. The property is owned by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria tribe, led by chairman Greg Sarris. Census Bureau researchers found that tribal casinos like Graton saw a boom in recent years, with annual revenue topping $40 billion.
Murphy-Ellamar and her husband, chef Roy Ellamar, developed three distinct new dining concepts, all opening in May: Aya is a $40 million, 28,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant with California coastal cuisine and Filipino and Hawaiian influences, she said.
Its menu will include local oysters, Japanese Wagyu and a $1 million wine portfolio with 6,000 bottles. The restaurant plans to harvest its own produce at a farm down the street from the casino.
“As much as we can grow, we want to source from our own farm,” said Murphy-Ellamar.
The second opening is Playbook, an “elevated” sports bar that will serve birria nachos, gochujang wings, pastrami banh mi, smoked pork belly burnt ends and kalbi and Detroit style pizza, she said.
The final concept, SoCo Dough Co., will sell gourmet doughnuts, with flavors including black sesame, Dubai chocolate and pistachio with rose.
Graton opened in late 2013, with a 200-room hotel opening in 2016. Graton already operates three full-service restaurants and has additional food tenants in a marketplace. Its ongoing expansion also includes 1,700 new slot machines and table games, including a nonsmoking gaming floor, over 200 new hotel rooms, a 3,500-seat theatre and parking structure.
