Jason Guyot had a busy week in February. First, the season finale of the Fox TV show Hell’s Kitchen, filmed at Foxwoods, came down to a battle between chefs Hannah Flora and Kyle Timpson in a dramatic showdown. Guyot was there to congratulate the winner, Timpson.

A few days later, the Foxwoods CEO welcomed the legendary Martha Stewart for the announcement of her newest restaurant concept, The Bedford. It’s the first East Coast location for the brand—the first Bedford debuted at Paris Hotel Casino in Las Vegas in 2022—which, said Guyot, “highlights our commitment to working with the most respected names in the industry to continually elevate the guest experience and redefine what’s possible at Foxwoods.”

It all comes during the 33rd anniversary of Foxwoods, a milestone that Guyot takes seriously.

“As we celebrate 33 years of Foxwoods, it’s humbling to reflect on how far we’ve come—from a vision rooted in the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s determination to a destination that now redefines what a resort casino can be,” said Guyot.

That anniversary includes a brand new and improved poker room in the Fox tower, and a boutique, contemporary retreat-style renovation of the original hotel, the Great Cedar Hotel.

Past Perfect

Jason Guyot, CEO, Foxwoods

The roots of Foxwoods come from a very humble bingo operation that dates back to the mid-1980s operated by the Mashantucket Pequot tribe. The passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988 allowed the tribe to expand that game to one of the largest in the country. Hiring former New Jersey regulator Mickey Brown was the lynchpin for the Foxwoods expansion. Brown brought in the Genting company from Malaysia, which at that time ran the largest casino in the world.

Genting funded an expansion that first included table games and later slot machines, which were approved by the state government in a compact negotiated by Brown and the Pequot chairman at the time, Richard “Skip” Hayward. The resort followed.

For several years, Foxwoods was the only game in town for New England, until it was challenged by the Mohegan tribe, which opened its own casino a few miles away. Mohegan Sun was fueled by Sol Kerzner, who developed casinos in South Africa and the Bahamas, along with luxury hotels around the world. This launched an “arms race” between the two tribes resulting in a pair of five-star resorts in the woods of Connecticut.

The Mohegan project started with a well-thought-out master plan, while Foxwoods responded to demand by adding on to its property every time, including an outlet mall, several casino expansions, a zip line, a new hotel tower thanks to a short-lived partnership with MGM Resorts, and a smaller hotel across the street from the casino. But it all worked, thanks to some superior leadership including stellar CEOs and dedicated chairmen.

But things were getting rough when the pandemic hit. A recently hired CEO decided that his dream of taking Foxwoods to the next level wouldn’t work if he had to make the sacrifices that the pandemic would demand, so he resigned. The tribe turned to Guyot, who had been with Foxwoods for more than 15 years, to serve as interim CEO.

That’s when Guyot began to shine. The interim title was soon removed and he’s now been at Foxwoods for more than 22 years.

“The property from day one was obviously something special,” he says. “Nothing like it had ever existed. Since that time we’ve now evolved to this fully integrated resort destination. It’s been quite a journey. And as you can see, with over 9 million square feet now, we have a little bit of something for everyone, and we’re continuing to grow and add new amenities.

“We have more competition than we’ve ever had before, so that’s challenging too. But I feel honored to follow all my predecessors who have been in my role. We have a really great team here, and there’s been a lot of groundwork already laid over the years. We just try to expand on that and try to look towards the future, and focus on what this next five or 10 years might look like and how we can better compete.”

Food & Beverage Jump

While Foxwoods has always had quality bars and restaurants, Guyot wanted to elevate the product. He wanted to add a celebrity chef or two, especially adjacent to a new casino area that had just opened, the Woodlands casino. He knew where to look.

“If you start at the top, that brings you to Gordon Ramsay,” he says. “And so I reached out to Gordon Ramsay North America, had some good initial conversations, and then brought Norman Abdallah, the CEO, out to the property in 2021. And they say timing is everything. It is so true. They had just opened the North American branch, and Caesars had a deal with them. It was a one-off deal and they were just starting to consider expanding.

“I laid out the vision of how this Hell’s Kitchen would anchor that section of the property, and really got buy-in from him.”

Ramsay had never been to Foxwoods, Guyot says, and when he arrived he was shocked at how large the property was and how it had four different casinos under one roof, unlike anything he’d ever seen before.

“I committed to Gordon that my goal was to build the best Hell’s Kitchen ever,” he says. “I think that we accomplished that, with the quality of the food, the consistency, the brand… all those things have been working really well for us.”

But that led to another opportunity in the same vein.

“Not only were we able to convince Gordon and the team to allow us the license agreement to open Hell’s Kitchen, but we also committed to filming two seasons of the show here at Foxwoods, seasons 23 and 24. Gordon and ITV thought we were the right destination to do it, and it went unbelievably well. It’s not only a celebration of Gordon’s hit show, but really a celebration of all we have to offer here at Foxwoods.”

With the conclusion of season 23 at Foxwoods, the winner, Kyle Timpson, who is from South Jersey, is in line to become the executive chef at the Foxwoods’ Hell’s Kitchen.

Other F&B outlets opened under Guyot’s leadership include the Wahlburgers hamburger joint, a family venture of actor Mark Wahlberg; Zac Young’s Sprinkletown Donuts & Ice Cream; and Grace By Nia, a bar and restaurant from a legendary regional chef that features live music in an intimate venue.

Martha Stewart

But Guyot isn’t done by any means. He recently announced “The Bedford by Martha Stewart” will open later this year.

Designed to transport guests into Martha’s 1925 country farmhouse located in Bedford, New York, The Bedford brings her signature blend of elegance, warmth and charm to life. Located within the Grand Pequot Tower, this dining destination features a thoughtfully curated menu inspired by Stewart’s personal favorites, including her Kurobuta Pork Chop, Niçoise Salad, and her family recipe for pierogies, as well as some unique cocktails.

Guyot says that negotiations with Stewart’s company, Marquee Brands, took a couple of years.

“As we continued to consider the evolution of the property, we’ve done a lot of research and looking at brands and concepts,” he explains. “I felt very strongly about speaking to Martha about a potential interest and about different opportunities, most specifically with The Bedford. Martha only has one restaurant, and so she has been very picky on where she wants to be, and rightfully so.

“I think we were able to convince her that she is really an icon across the world, but with her roots here in Connecticut and New York, it was really a perfect fit. So it didn’t take very long for both teams to figure that out and find a way to get a deal done.”

Stewart agrees that it’s a perfect match.

“The Bedford at Foxwoods Resort Casino will provide diners with a glimpse into the way I entertain and host at my farmhouse in Bedford, New York,” said Stewart. “We have worked so hard to perfect this beautiful and inviting space, as well as curate a delicious variety of my most favored food and beverage recipes, which we are excited for guests to enjoy later this year.”

Following the successful 2022 debut of The Bedford by Martha Stewart at Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, the Foxwoods location also promises a refined, welcoming atmosphere paired with the culinary creativity that has made Martha Stewart a household name. With hand-selected interiors and a thoughtfully crafted menu, The Bedford is designed to blend elegance and charm, exemplary of the Foxwoods experience.

The Lodge Pole

One of the casualties of the financial crisis in 2007 was a deal to launch a Great Wolf Lodge at Foxwoods. Guyot explains how it was revived.

“Back when Foxwoods opened in 1992, the tribe had always wanted to do an indoor water park,” he elaborates. “And there were a lot of conversations over the years. There was even one called Pequot Island, where it was going to be an indoor water park run by the tribe. Unfortunately, that never came to fruition, but the tribe consistently had been in conversations with operators who were looking to do it themselves. We got very close in 2007 with Great Wolf Lodge, but then the recession hit.

“We were, however, focused on getting it done. We did an RFP, we spoke to all the best operators in the industry, narrowed it down, had our selection, and then went back out and started to have some really great conversations with Great Wolf. They were in the midst of a major expansion plan.”

Guyot says they identified 14 acres of land across from the casino, and worked with Great Wolf to design a great property.

Foxwoods Poker Room

“When you look at what the addition does for us,” he says, “it’s another 549 hotel rooms, with a 90,000-square-foot indoor water park and a 60,000-square-foot family entertainment center, right across the internal roadway from the resort. We’re already driving 8.5 million to 9 million visitors a year, and Great Wolf will drive about another million. And then when you think about the wealth of amenities we have, it’s really unmatched that someone could go to a Great Wolf Lodge and also enjoy all the amenities that Foxwoods has to offer. So it’s going to be exciting. And we’re going to open this great new attraction ahead of schedule in May.”

When it first opened and for many years thereafter, gaming was the principal revenue driver for Foxwoods, and that continues to this day. Guyot notes that in Las Vegas, non-gaming revenue has surpassed gaming on the Strip.

“Gaming will always remain a No. 1 priority for us,” he says, “but there is so much opportunity on the non-gaming side. While non-gaming revenue has overtaken gaming revenue in Vegas, I don’t ever know if we’ll get there, but I think there’s still a huge opportunity to be this destination resort, with the Great Wolf Lodge, indoor cart racing, two theaters, two spas, 36 holes of championship golf and all the others. You start to add all those things together, you start to extend length of stay.”

Native In Charge

With Guyot’s history at Foxwoods, working his way up the ladder, he points to the tribal leadership as important to his development, particularly Rodney Butler, the tribal chairman.

“Rodney is truly world-class,” says Guyot. “He’s been leading the tribe for over 10 years and was on council for many years before that. We work very well together. We’ve known each other for years. We’re both tribal members, so this has been interesting for both of us. We’re both very passionate about what we do. We make a great team. I look up to him and see how involved he is, not only with the operations here at Foxwoods, but in the local community, and even legislatively up on the hill in Hartford.

“He’s a relationship builder, and he’s been amazing for the tribe. I also think the rest of the council too looks to him for guidance and leadership, and as a result gets really involved in the community. And I think that’s a testament to Rodney’s hard work.”

Guyot believes his status as the first Mashantucket Pequot tribal member to lead Foxwoods makes his commitment to the property strong.

“For me personally, it does add an extra element of thought and pressure,” he says, “so I really try to focus on the future. We’ve had a lot of great CEOs come through before me, and most of them have moved here from other areas. But this is my home and I want to be here. I feel honored to be in this role, which is rare in our industry.

“So, I don’t take that for granted at all. But I inherited a great team that were my peers, and they really continue to lead this organization. So there’s a history here and a passion. People have grown up in this area. They’ve raised their families here.

“We have about 4,000 team members here now, and I think about them every day. And it really drives our strategy and, because this is our home, we’re laser-focused on the future.”