The Light Group Announces Partnership With NYC's Butter Group to Debut 1OAK at The Mirage Hotel & Casino

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Light Group, Las Vegas' leading hospitality, development and management company, is excited to announce the opening of 1OAK at The Mirage Hotel & Casino. In a unique partnership with The Butter Group, New York's preeminent lifestyle and hospitality company and owners of elite restaurants The Darby and Butter; lounges and nightclubs The Darby Downstairs, 1OAK NYC, Butter NC and 1OAK Brazil, 1OAK Las Vegas will offer a one-of-a-kind nightlife experience beginning New Year's Eve 2011.

The Light Group, which currently owns and operates 15 restaurants and nightlife destinations on the Las Vegas Strip, will close the doors to premier celebrity hot spot JET Nightclub at The Mirage Tuesday, September 6.  Since opening in 2005, JET has been frequented by top actors, artists, athletes and other personalities including Fergie, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Rihanna, Pete Wentz, Jamie Foxx, Ciara, Gavin Rossdale, Slash, Benicio Del Toro, Adam Levine, Tony Hawk and LeBron James.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with The Butter Group," said The Light Group founder Andrew Sasson.  "Combining The Light Group's expertise and experience in service and management with The Butter Group's edgy New York City style and energy, 1OAK Las Vegas will be a truly unique nightlife experience that will set new industry standards in Las Vegas."

Located on the cusp of New York City's trendy Chelsea neighborhood and the fashionable Meatpacking District, 1OAK remains one of the most popular and exclusive celebrity haunts since reinventing Manhattan nightlife with its opening in 2008.  1OAK NYC regularly hosts Hollywood's hottest stars, athletes and other personalities including Beyonce, Jay-Z, Madonna, Katy Perry, Cameron Diaz, Kanye West, Carmelo Anthony, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Calvin Klein, Narciso Rodriguez and Giorgio Armani.

Helmed by restaurateurs and nightlife business originators Richie Akiva and Scott Sartiano, along with business partner Ronnie Madra, The Butter Group will imbue the Las Vegas nightlife arena with its NYC exclusivity, cutting-edge fashion and trend-setting sensibility. The introduction of one of the most esteemed nightlife properties to the Las Vegas Strip marks The Butter Group's third venture outside of Manhattan.

"The Light Group is the perfect partner for this venture as they are the best Las Vegas has to offer and remain the premier hospitality leaders," said Akiva.  

Sartiano added, "1OAK has been, and continues to be, one of the world's hottest clubs for the past four years, and we are thrilled to be expanding the brand into one of the most-celebrated entertainment destinations in the world, Las Vegas."

Leading international design firm Munge Leung will execute the interior design vision for 1OAK's Las Vegas outpost, which was conceptualized collaboratively between The Light Group and The Butter Group.  World-renowned artist Roy Nachum has also been selected to incorporate one-of-a-kind works of art into the interior layout.

About The Light Group

The Light Group is one of the United States' leading hospitality development and management companies, renowned for shaping the nightlife landscape on the Las Vegas Strip.  Founded by Andrew Sasson and Andy Masi, the company manages and operates 15 food and beverage venues within the AAA Five Diamond Bellagio Resort & Casino, The Mirage Hotel & Casino, Monte Carlo Resort and Casino and ARIA Resort & Casino. The Light Group's portfolio expanded in December 2009 to include five new venues at ARIA at CityCenter: HAZE Nightclub, The Deuce Lounge, GOLD Boutique Nightclub & Lounge, LIQUID Pool Lounge and UNION Restaurant & Lounge.

About The Butter Group

Founded in 2002, The Butter Group holds a multi-million dollar portfolio of premier dining destinations, including BUTTER Restaurant, which opened in 2002, and The Darby, which recently opened in the legendary space that once housed Nell's. In addition to award-winning, sought-after restaurants, The Butter Group owns and manages the A-list New York hot spot 1OAK and the South's trendiest nightclub, BUTTER NC in Charlotte, North Carolina.

About The Mirage Hotel & Casino

Ideally located in the center of the famed Las Vegas Strip, The Mirage is the place to stay and play.  The resort features contemporary AAA Four Diamond accommodations, dynamic nightlife including The Beatles REVOLUTION Lounge and 1OAK, opening at the end of the year, tantalizing restaurants created by the world's most acclaimed designers and renowned chefs, a salon from celebrity stylist Kim Vo, the enticing BARE Pool Lounge and 170,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.  Unique entertainment options include The Beatles™ LOVE™ by Cirque du Soleil® celebrating the musical legacy of The Beatles, Terry Fator: Ventriloquism in Concert and the lush animal sanctuary of Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.  From the iconic Volcano and 20,000-gallon lobby aquarium to the lush tropical atrium and pool, guests experience an exotic world-class destination unlike any other.  The Mirage is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International™ (NYSE: MGM).  For more information and reservations, visit www.mirage.com or call toll free at (800) 374-9000.

SOURCE The Light Group