Celebrity Chef Holds Soft Opening for New Restaurant on AC Boardwalk
Chef Wenford Patrick Simpson is opening the Simpson Restaurant & Bar on the first floor of the former The Pier at Caesars/The Playground Mall. He already has more than 150 reservations booked.
ATLANTIC CITY — Celebrity Chef Wenford Patrick Simpson hosted a ribbon cutting and soft opening reception on Saturday, June 1, 2024, for his new restaurant at ACX1 Studios.
Chef Patrick, as he is known in the industry, is opening the Simpson Restaurant & Bar on the first floor of the former The Pier at Caesars/The Playground Mall. He already has more than 350 reservations booked.
“This journey started in Clarendon Jamaica. We’re talking about a little boy with a big dream,” Chef Patrick explained. “I never gave up on it and I stayed believing in myself.”
Chef Patrick has cooked for Oprah Winfrey, President Barack Obama and a host of others. Soon you can taste his food on the Boardwalk at ACX1 Studios. Chef Simpson said the restaurant will open on July 1, 2024.
Mayor Marty Small, Sr., said his administration supports Chef Patrick in all his efforts. “He made a substantial commitment to Atlantic city by bringing this fine restaurant here and my administration has welcomed him with open arms, and we will continue to do so,” said Small. “Today is a truly a great day as the Simpson brand expands to the great City of Atlantic City.”
How would Simpson describe the new restaurant he plans to open? “Beautiful! Upscale! Classy!” Patrick said. He plans on making it similar to his flagship sports bar, The Simpson Restaurant and Bar on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.
Mark Tyler
A new ownership group reopened the property, which is also the former Shops on Ocean One Mall, in September of 2023. ACX1 Studios Chief Operating Officer Dom Franklin said the unique concept includes a mix of retail, restaurants, entertainment, and educational space and welcomes the music and film industries to the resort.
Mark Tyler
Franklin said the Simpson Restaurant will bring the kind of energy to the area that the ACX1 team has envisioned. “It’s something different. It’s something unique,” Franklin said. “We’re bringing food that wasn’t here before and it’s connected to a Casino.”
Soul food and Caribbean American cuisine will dominate the menu. Staples will include oxtails, jerk chicken, and steak. But the restaurant will also offer chicken and waffles, assorted shrimp dishes, crab legs and a full bar with everything from cocktails to premium alcohol and even juices. Equally important as the food will be the atmosphere, Patrick has said.
Photo Gallery courtesy of The Simpson Restaurant & Bar.
Soft opening guests got to taste the food that has made him famous. The event, held in the wedding venue overlooking the Atlantic Ocean as the restaurant receives finishing touches, started at 6 p.m. Chef Patrick offered a full menu including curry goat, oxtails, rice and beans, curry shrimp, fried plantains, white rice and vegetables. Restaurant staff set it up buffet-style so guests could get what they liked, and plenty of it. And for dessert—cheesecake. The bar was open. More than 400 people attended.
The ACX1 Studios team has been working tirelessly to bring activity back to the building. They hosted the Atlantic City High School Prom A Night in Rio! on May 23, 2024. Christopher Aponte, executive vice president of tenant development for ACX1 studios, said he wanted to bring the prom to the Boardwalk because students deserved something special. “The prom is milestone,” Aponte said. “We wanted the kids to have a night to remember in a place like no other.” Chef Patrick provided the food. "We're giving back to Atlantic City and to the community," Aponte said. "This is very special to me because it amplifies what the property can be."
Then ACX1 Studios held its official Music Division launch on Sunday, May 26, 2024, as a daylong entertainment event that also introduced the industry to its new radio station Splash 98.5. MC Delite, from the Hip-Hop band Stetsasonic, Pretty Poison, Nyaira and the area’s own Gina Thompson performed to a crowd that was drawn into the building by hearing the music and seeing the performers from the Boardwalk.
Mark Tyler
Rob Schwartz, co-founder and chief music officer of ACX1 Studios, said the free celebration included live artists and DJs from various genres in addition to comedians. Schwartz said the restaurant is only the beginning.
The Laff House Atlantic City comedy club will open here this summer. Custo Pies, Hennigan’s Brewery and other restaurants are slated to open soon.
Mark Tyler
“We are super excited to have Chef Simpson here,” said Schwartz. “Chef Simpson is an iconic chef and it’s the perfect kickoff for what’s about to happen at ACX1.”
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