New beach businesses added to Casino

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Sal Lupoli has big plans in works for waterslide property

By Kyle Stucker

Hampton Union, August 1, 2014

[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online.]

Sal Lupoli
Sal Lupoli, center, cuts a ceremonial ribbon for five new Hampton Beach
Casino complex businesses during a special ceremony Monday. Lupoli, the
owner of the complex, was joined by the business owners, local officials
and others. [Kyle Stucker photo]

HAMPTON — A large smile rarely left the face of Hampton Beach Casino owner Sal Lupoli on Monday as he celebrated the opening of five new businesses and his progressing plans to overhaul an adjacent parcel.

Lupoli, who also owns the Sal's Pizza chain, spoke with great excitement about how the complex's five new businesses will serve as a "stepping stone" for new development.

Lupoli said he is currently in the process of creating preliminary renderings for the redesign of the D Street property he owns just north of the Casino complex, an area that includes the Casino Cascade Waterslide and a number of restaurants.

While nothing has officially been decided, Lupoli said the plan involves raising the height of the buildings and potentially adding more parking to the area.

"This is not a seven-figure project," said Lupoli. "This is a mid-eight-figures project. This isn't (just) adding a few stores."

Since purchasing the Casino complex and the Waterslide parcel in 2012, Lupoli has hinted at a variety of big plans for the properties.

Lupoli has already invested over $1 million to upgrade the Casino since 2012, and those upgrades include the five businesses celebrated Monday night, all of which opened near the start of the tourism season: Aces and Eights Casino Room, a charitable gaming establishment; Just Cigars, a cigar store; Sports World, a memorabilia and collectibles store; Wasabi Express, an Asian cuisine and sushi restaurant; and Wicked Willy's, a seafood restaurant.

A crowd attended these businesses' ceremonial ribbon cutting Monday night, including Boston Bruins legend Rick Middleton, a Hampton resident.

The Hampton Beach Area Commission is scheduled to meet with Lupoli on Aug. 12 to discuss Lupoli's plans for the waterslide parcel. Lupoli said he will solicit their input on his redesign and present a construction plan that won't inhibit existing restaurants and businesses.

"We're not going to allow any existing entrepreneur to ... miss one day of sales," said Lupoli. "We're going to do it in stages. If it will have to take three years of stages (that's what we'll have to do). Some of these businesses can't survive if they miss five or six weeks."

Lupoli has already met with a variety of town officials, department heads, local politicians and others about the project. Additional meetings will be held in the future to discuss the work, which will likely require planning and zoning approval.

Town Manager Fred Welch said he looks forward to again sitting down with Lupoli once the plans are more concrete.

"He's in the process of perfecting what he's going to do," said Welch. "I think it's a good thing."

Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce President Doc Noel praised the opening of the Casino's new businesses and well as Lupoli's future development plans because he said they'll bring more jobs and prosperity to the area.

"Having businesses such as these create excitement for tourists and more come to the area to enjoy them," said Noel. "Down the road, whatever he wants to do, it increases everything around the entire area."

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