North Star Mohican Casino Resort

Rick Yong

Rick Yong is Director of Hospitality at North Star Mohican Casino Resort, bringing extensive experience across multi-unit operations and casino hospitality. Throughout his career, he has focused on developing teams, elevating the guest experience and leading hospitality operations in fast-paced environments.

Building a Foundation in Fine Dining

Yong’s career in hospitality began as a bartender before a colleague encouraged him to pursue management as a longterm path. He accepted a bar manager position at a fine dining restaurant in Washington, later becoming a restaurant manager and eventually general manager.

Those early years in fine dining shaped Yong’s leadership approach. He came to view hospitality as the complete guest experience, recognizing that every detail, from table settings and plating to service, contributes to how guests remember their visit. That lesson has remained constant throughout his career, reinforcing his belief that doing the job well allows the business results to follow.

Building Strong Operations through HandsOn Leadership

When Yong joined North Star Mohican Casino Resort, his priority was to understand every area of the business. He spent his initial weeks observing operations and identifying where additional support would have the greatest impact. Once the assessment was complete, he spent most of his time on the floor coaching teams, solving operational issues and reinforcing service standards rather than working from his office.

Many employees join with little or no hospitality experience, making hands-on coaching a daily priority. Yong invests time in training people, helping them learn their roles while creating an environment where they can succeed and remain with the organization. He also adapts his approach to younger team members, who often respond better to practical demonstration than traditional communication.

Delivering the Complete Guest Experience

Delivering memorable hospitality in a casino environment presents challenges that differ from those in standalone restaurants or hotels. Yong notes that many guests arrive primarily to gamble, and those who leave disappointed may direct their frustration toward food and beverage teams even when the service itself meets expectations.

He emphasizes consistency in every interaction, greeting guests warmly, explaining the menu, mentioning upcoming events, following established service steps throughout the meal and thanking guests while inviting them to return. In Yong’s view, memorable hospitality is created through the complete experience, where service, food and every point of interaction leave guests with a positive impression of their visit.

Adapting to Changing Guest Expectations

Yong believes the role of hospitality within tribal casinos has changed significantly over the years. Where food and beverage operations were once viewed primarily as amenities, they are increasingly expected to contribute as revenue-generating parts of the business. At the same time, guest expectations continue to evolve.

He cites Las Vegas to illustrate how rising prices have encouraged many guests to visit local tribal casinos offering hotels, dining and other resort-style amenities under one roof. While every property has its own approach, Yong believes continually adapting to changing guest expectations is essential for long-term success.

Supporting Teams through Practical Experience

For hospitality professionals aspiring to leadership roles, Yong believes there is no substitute for understanding every part of the operation.

He encourages future leaders to understand every responsibility within their department, from front-of-house service to back-of-house operations, believing that effective leadership begins with firsthand experience.

That philosophy continues to shape his approach at North Star Mohican Casino Resort, a resort and casino owned by the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe in Wisconsin. In addition to overseeing hospitality at the resort, Yong leads food and beverage operations at Pine Hills Golf Course, which is also owned by the Tribe.

He describes the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe as highly involved in the businesses it owns, noting that this level of engagement demonstrates how much the organization cares about its operations and people. For Yong, the Tribe’s close involvement has helped create an environment that feels less like a large organization and more like a privately owned small business, where the workplace feels like family.