Ocean Casino Announces Restaurant Openings From Philadelphia-Born Stephen Starr
Posted on: June 5, 2025, 10:48h.
Last updated on: June 5, 2025, 10:53h.
- Ocean Casino Resort will open two Stephen Starr restaurants this summer
- Chez Frites and Sunny’s will open in August 2025
- Atlantic City is home to many celebrity restaurants
Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City is putting the final touches on two new restaurants that come from Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Stephen Starr.
Ocean says Starr’s two restaurant concepts — Chez Frites, a French dinner spot, and Sunny’s, an American breakfast and lunch bistro — will open on August 1.
“American and French cuisines have always been two of my favorites, each offering its own unique sense of comfort, tradition, and indulgence,” said Starr. “Helping to shape these experiences with Chez Frites and Sunny’s in Atlantic City is especially exciting, and I can’t wait for guests to experience them at Ocean Casino Resort this summer.”
Ocean, among the most luxurious properties in Atlantic City with Borgata and neighboring Hard Rock, is focused on drawing a wider range of visitors to the New Jersey shore by diversifying its culinary offerings.
The resort, located on the northern end of the Boardwalk, announced the Starr partnership in April. Chez Frites and Sunny’s are located on Ocean’s 11th-floor lobby across from The Park, a lush three-acre outdoor reprieve.
Culinary Accolades
Atlantic City is officially amid its busy summer season, and casino executives are optimistic that the Memorial Day through Labor Day period marks the beginning of a revitalization of the East Coast casino capital. Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts Casino Hotel and the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ), told Casino.org in April that Atlantic City today offers much more than just gaming, with the city’s variety of restaurants among its many draws.
“We’re really perceived as a value. Our restaurants provide a great, significantly high experience for the price we charge compared to New York or Philadelphia,” Giannantonio said.
Ocean bringing Starr to town adds to the casinos’ roster of celebrity-led eateries. Born in nearby Philadelphia and raised in South Jersey, Starr has racked up numerous distinguished awards during his career.
It feels like a full circle moment for me to work on restaurant projects in Atlantic City, a place where I formed some of my finest childhood memories, both at the beach and on America’s most popular Boardwalk, where I worked as a teenager,” Starr added.
Along with his 2018 Michelin star for The Clocktower in New York City’s Madison Square Park, Starr has been named “Restaurateur of the Year” by Bon Appétit and Zagat. The James Beard Foundation bestowed him the coveted “Outstanding Restaurateur” award, too.
Starr Restaurants Group operates approximately 30 restaurants, with the most in Philadelphia. The company also has venues in New York, Washington, DC, South Florida, and Paris.
Starr says Chez Frites will offer a prix fixe menu featuring steak, salmon, and lobster, along with salads and unlimited fries. Sunny’s will feature reimagined American breakfast classics and lunch staples.
Atlantic City Celebrity Restaurateurs
Casinos and celebrity restaurants go hand in hand. And like in Las Vegas, Atlantic City is home to numerous world-renowned chefs.
Caesars Atlantic City has eateries from Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, and Nobu Matsuhisa. Bobby Flay, Buddy “Cake Boss” Valastro, Fieri, and Ramsay are at Harrah’s. Fieri is also at Resorts with his Chicken Guy spot.
At Ocean, Starr joins the Wahlberg family’s Wahlburgers and celebrity chef Jose Garces’ Distrito.
Golden Nugget has Michael Patrick, while Bally’s has Jerry Longo and South Jersey pizza from the Carluccio family.
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