A week after telling community leaders he envisions an underground casino at The Greenbrier, the resort’s new owner remains enthusiastic about the possibility, even expanding his plan to include a theater featuring live entertainment.

“It will blend in tastefully with what’s already here, all the time preserving this as the treasure it is,” promised Jim Justice, who acquired the historic White Sulphur Springs resort last month. “To enter the casino, guests will go through a transitional area with maybe shops or a sushi bar, something to ease the way from the elegance of the older portion of the hotel to the high-energy area of the casino.

“Behind the casino, there needs to be an entertainment theater, a place where a Barry Manilow or Barbra Streisand could perform,” he added. “It’s another (amenity) for the guests.”

As for staffing, Justice estimates the casino will require 400 to 500 employees in addition to The Greenbrier’s current 1,400. Finding experienced, talented prospects for those jobs should not be a problem, according to Justice.

“I want the jobs of the everyday people at The Greenbrier to be the envy of the world,” he said. “I believe we can draw people from all corners of the world to work here, and, of course, I want to employ more West Virginians, too.”

Justice easily dismisses those who wonder how a man who is best known for his success in the coal mining and farming arenas will handle a move into the top echelon of the hospitality industry.

“Management has many tentacles. It’s no different than any other business; they all have certain challenges and intangibles,” he said. “You just have to get the right person in the right position and make sure they’re motivated.

“We’ve got some really qualified people here. They may need to be moved around a bit, but it’s not a struggle to manage all the tentacles,” he continued. “A great many of the existing management team will stay, but we need additional talented people as well.”

To that end, Justice said some employment prospects have already been interviewed. Key professional positions that need to be filled are vice president of food and beverage, casino manager and casino marketing strategist, he pointed out.

He is also already working on regaining the resort’s fifth star, taken away by the Mobil Travel Guide in 2000 and never restored, despite renovations and upgrades designed to recapture the coveted designation.

“We brought the Mobil people in on contract for on-site training and pre-inspections,” Justice said. “We have plenty of amenities — fine dining, a spa, etc. We just need mild improvements. Service is the biggest hole in the bucket; we have to have outstanding service.”

Bringing staffing levels back up to capacity is an essential component in delivering outstanding service, Justice feels.

“I’ve seen plenty of enthusiasm and happiness among the employees in the past few weeks,” he said. “We have all the ingredients here for success, but we have a lot of work to do.

“Stay tuned. There’s a lotta, lotta good to come.”

— E-mail: talvey@register-herald.com