The founder and Chairman of Blackhawk Restaurant Group, LLC is a pioneer in operating restaurants that include state-sponsored video gaming. Shortly after the Oregon Lottery adopted state-sponsored video gaming, Bruce Davis began building a chain of bistro-style restaurants serving beer & wine and offering video gaming terminals in 1993.
Illinois’ video gaming program, regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board, is largely modeled after Oregon’s highly successful 20 year experience, where retail establishments with liquor licenses (and approved by state police officials) may have five state-approved video gaming terminals.
Our Demonstrated Record of Success
Davis and his companies today operate or franchise over 50 locations throughout Oregon, collectively representing the state’s largest lottery retailer. (See letters of recommendation from the Chairman or the Oregon Lottery and head of retailer contracts.)
The locations Davis and his companies own and operate are among the top 7.5% of all Oregon Lottery retailers in the state. (See chart of our revenue performance compared to all other retailers. Source: Oregon Lottery)
Proven Real Estate Strategy and Experience
Much of this success is tied to our operating experience and our real estate strategy, which focuses on operating in higher quality retail locations, particularly grocery anchored centers.
In Oregon, we operate in centers anchored by national, regional and local grocery store chains, including Safeway (Dominick’s), Albertson’s (Jewel Osco), Thriftway, Ray’s Market, and Market of Choice (local equivalent of Whole Foods). In addition, we have units adjacent to Wal-Mart. Our relationships with these grocery stores and our landlords have been excellent and mutually beneficial. As with our various restaurants, we focus on the middle to higher-end customer.
Case study: - Safeway- sister company to Dominick’s
As an example of our experience with grocery-store anchored centers, we opened one of our first locations next door to a very high volume Safeway in Eugene, Oregon (1500 Coburg Road) and have operated without issue since 1993. 
We believe we are a complimentary business for Safeway. We draw customers to this mall, because we are viewed as an amenity to center. Our store is among the top 10 highest grossing locations in the entire state of Oregon in 2012. (Source: Oregon Lottery)
Case study: Albertson’s- sister company to Jewel Osco
This study focuses on our excellent long-term relationship with Albertson’s anchored malls for over a combined 70 years. In the Bend and Redmond markets, where we opened three units in 1995, and where our leases recently expired, the
landlords have specifically requested that we renew our leases there, which we have done. As with our experience with other grocers, and with the half dozen Albertson anchored malls where we operate in Oregon, we have a mutually beneficial
relationship.
Blackhawk: Leader in Grocery Anchored Centers in Illinois
Because of our operating history and demonstrated record of success operating in centers with grocer stores, Blackhawk is quickly being recognized a preeminent video gaming retailer and has executed leases or definitive letters of intent in grocery anchored centers, including:
And, our list is growing and for good reasons: we are funded with nearly $20 million in capital (with ample additional financial resources), we are experts in the restaurant business, we offer a superior product, targeting higher-end customers; and we have successfully operated in this highly specialized business segment for 20 years.