Big Night Entertainment: Nightlife meets culinary innovation

Cofounders and brothers Ed and Joe Kane got their start by transforming a 1950s-style diner into an upscale American eatery on the waterfront.Big Night Entertainment Group

Big Night Entertainment Group’s portfolio showcases diverse offerings — from a “soul-infused supper club” (Grace by Nia) to an arcade bar with upscale bites and live DJ sets. But “flashy and exciting” is the common thread, whether showcasing Pan-Asian food through an open kitchen concept or throwing nightly parties at a casino nightclub.

Even when culinary innovation is the focus — as opposed to drinks and parties — Big Night is big on spectacle. For example, one of the company’s signature concepts, Asian restaurant and lounge Empire, serves its lobster cupcakes on a decorative Ferris wheel that arrives tableside. Like many of Big Night’s concepts, the restaurant also hosts DJ sets multiple nights a week, seamlessly blending fine dining with nightlife energy.

“It’s basically our take of a New England lobster roll served in a wonton shell and topped with uni,” Big Night COO Jamie Pollock said. “When you see it, it’s a spectacle that comes to the table, but when you bite into it, you’re like, ‘Oh my god, this is New England.’”

Another example is Asian fusion restaurant Mystique, located in the Encore Casino, which offers guests a roulette wheel to spin after dinner for the opportunity to win a free meal alongside other discounts — a playful nod to its casino setting that keeps guests engaged beyond their plates.

Big Night had humble beginnings. In 1989, cofounders and brothers Ed and Joe Kane got their start by transforming a 1950s-style diner into Stars, an upscale American eatery on the waterfront in Chatham, Massachusetts. The brothers brought complementary skills to the table: Ed, a Harvard-educated design visionary with an eye for creating immersive environments, and Joe, a hands-on operator who understood the nuts and bolts of hospitality from their family’s bar-owning background.

Alongside third cofounder Randy Greenstein — a marketing manager by day and DJ by night — Big Night made a splash in the nightclub scene with the opening of several bars and nightclubs at Foxwoods Resort Casino, including Scorpion Bar, which fuses Mexican cuisine with a goth rock vibe.

“The Big Night Entertainment brand is really based on entertainment, hospitality, and people, and not one place is cookie cutter,” Pollock said. “We have nightclubs, restaurants, bars, and then hybrids of all of the above. These are all experiential places where you can come and spend your entire evening doing different activities and having a good time.”

These days, Big Night operates 20 venues, mostly in New England, with locations spanning Boston’s thriving Seaport district, Connecticut, and various casino partnerships. The company has plans to expand to the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in early 2027 with the opening of a live music and events venue modeled after its successful Big Night Live concert hall at Boston’s TD Garden.

Big Night also showcases culinary diversity.

At Empire, guests can order Singapore street noodles and house-fried rice prepared by chef Jim Lam, or try Southern comfort food and signature chicken fingers served at Grace by Nia’s jazz bar. Versus, another arcade bar, serves video game-themed bar food like Zelda fries and a “Little Mac” burger.

In an increasingly competitive restaurant landscape, Big Night has doubled down on creating memorable experiences that give guests reasons to return — and to share their visits on social media.

One example is the unlimited sushi program offered on Wednesdays at both Empire and Mystique, where guests can enjoy unlimited maki rolls for $25 — a deal that has proven so popular the company has had to cap reservations.

“I think as more venues that have opened around us, the well-documented challenge is motivating people to come to your place as opposed to another restaurant,” Pollock said. “We’ve tried to come up with over-the-top promotions and experiences to make raving fans.”