1/16/15 – Casino Queen Names Chef Ray Wiley As Assistant Executive Chef

Casino Queen is proud to announce the recent addition of Chef Raymond Trenier Wiley to their culinary team. Wiley has been hired as an Assistant Executive Chef and will join Executive Chef Ken Weicker in overseeing food operations for all three of the Casino Queen Restaurants; Market Street Buffet, Prime Steakhouse and Sevens Sports Bar.

 Chef Wiley was born and raised in Belleville, Ill., where the family name is well known.  His father is Billikin Hall of Famer Joe Wiley who starred at Belleville West before moving to the college ranks. Chef Wiley’s mother Marquita is a leading area businesswoman who serves on the SIU Board of Trustees.

Chef Wiley’s passion for food began at an early age. While most kids were watching cartoons, he was tuning into his favorite cooking shows for inspiration, and ultimately determined that he’d prefer a career behind the stove over one behind a desk.

Chef Wiley attended Southwestern Illinois College, Fontbonne University and the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC), before officially beginning his career in Chicago with Stefani Signature Restaurants in 2004. He worked as the Sous Chef of the Castaways Bar and Grill for six years, and in 2010, was promoted to Stefani Signature Events. As the Executive Sous Chef, he was responsible for food operations and off-premises catering. During his time in Chicago, he cooked for the Obama family, the Italian prime minister and other celebrities; but as much as he loved the big city life, his love for family and friends drew him back to the Metro East when the opportunity arose with the Casino Queen.

“Chef Ray Wiley brings valuable culinary experience to our restaurants, making him an excellent addition to our team,” said Jeff Watson, General Manager of the Casino Queen. “We are happy to have him return home to the Metro East, where we’re confident he’ll make his own mark on the local culinary scene.”

For more information about Casino Queen Hotel packages, the Casino Queen restaurants and entertainment at the Casino Queen, visit the Casino Queen’s website at www.casinoqueen.com.

 

Casino Queen, located at 200 South Front Street in East St. Louis, Ill., is the only employee owned, locally owned casino in the country. It was established in 1993 and has since made more than $10 million in charitable contributions and invested more than $200 million in capital improvements on the East St. Louis riverfront. For the past seven years, Casino Queen has been recognized for having the nation’s highest slot payback among individual casinos by Casino Player Magazine. For more information, visit www.casinoqueen.com. You can also find Casino Queen on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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For more information:

Julie Hauser or Jeni Ross

The Hauser Group

314/436-9090 (office), 217/414-7600 (cell)