Off-Strip restaurant settles lawsuit out of court with F1, others, owner says
Ferraro’s Ristorante has agreed to drop a lawsuit against various entities tied to the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix after the parties settled out of court, according to the off-Strip restaurant’s owner.
On Oct. 22, the case filed in 2024 by Ferraro’s against Las Vegas Grand Prix, Formula One, Liberty Media (F1’s parent company) and Clark County, was dismissed by District Judge Joanna Kishner, according to court documents. The case was dismissed “without prejudice,” which means it could be refiled later.
Court records of the dismissal show an agreement for an unspecific monetary judgment was reached in the case in favor of Ferraro’s. Gino Ferraro confirmed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday morning that the two sides had settled out of court.
In the lawsuit, Ferraro had been seeking in excess of $50,000.
“The lawsuit was settled out of court,” Ferraro said. “But I did not file the lawsuit for money. I filed the lawsuit to try and stop this F1 from coming to Vegas.”
A statement from race officials Wednesday denied there was a monetary judgment.
“No money was exchanged or will be required to be exchanged for this dismissal,” Las Vegas Grand Prix Inc. said in a statement. “The case was dismissed without prejudice and there was no judgment, monetary or otherwise. We look forward to producing the upcoming event and continuing to foster our relationship with the local community.”
Clark County did not immediately respond Wednesday morning to a request to comment about the dismissal.
Lawsuit details
Ferraro’s lawsuit said the lead-up to the inaugural 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix caused the restaurant to suffer millions of dollars in lost business due to nine weeks’ of grand prix related infrastructure and road work.
The lawsuit claimed that two-thirds of the roads that provide east-west access to Ferraro’s restaurant on Paradise Road were affected by the race. The restaurant is just north of Flamingo Road and east of where the temporary vehicular bridge was built on Flamingo over Koval Lane.
Ferraro’s claimed the restaurant also lost business from attendees of trade shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the roadwork, saying that the 1.7-mile, 10-minute drive between the two destinations turned into an hourslong trip.
Additionally, the suit claimed the use permit issued by Clark County for the construction of the F1 pit building was used to carry out the nine months of road and infrastructure work tied to the race’s setup and tear down. The lawsuit alleged that the county fast-tracked the process to approve the race and allowing for the months of road work tied to setting up the race within public right-of-way.
Other suits dismissed
Ferraro’s suit is the latest lawsuit tied to the 2023 race that has been dismissed over the last year.
Race officials reached settlements with Stage Door Casino and Battista’s Hole in the Wall restaurant, who share the same owners, and Jay’s Market convenience store. All three businesses are on Flamingo, in the footprint of the temporary bridge, and they said the grand prix infrastructure work hurt their business.
In February, a court partially dismissed a class-action lawsuit that was filed following an on-track incident involving a water valve coming lose during the 2023 grand prix, causing a delay and forcing fans to leave before the conclusion of the first practice heat.
Race officials last year also settled a lawsuit filed by off-Strip property Ellis Island, who this year is partnering with the grand prix to host a spectator zone for the race.
The track work for the 2023 race was much more disruptive than for last year’s race, taking nine months for the major paving operations needed around the 3.8-mile street circuit, which consists mainly of public streets including Las Vegas Boulevard, Koval Lane and Harmon and Sands avenues.
Race officials have been working to build community ties since the first year’s disruption, gifting Southern Nevada residents race tickets, donating money and working with local organizations and hosting free watch parties for the race.
2025 race
Race infrastructure work is now limited to between September and December, but despite most of the work for both last year’s and this year’s race occurring overnight, Ferraro said his business and others in the race’s footprint are still affected by the operation.
“When they (tourists) come to Vegas three, four months prior to the race, it’s not Vegas. It’s not what Vegas is about,” Ferraro said. “You get in a cab ride for an hour to get a mile, mile-and-a-half and pay $70 or $80 instead of paying $10 or $15. Then every reservation is late, and they call us and say, ‘We’re stuck in traffic.’”
This year’s race, scheduled for Nov. 20-22, will begin two hours earlier than in previous years, with the action starting at 8 p.m. to better accommodate race attendees. The two-hour difference is leading Ferraro to consider closing his restaurant for the entire race weekend.
“I have no choice (but) to close,” Ferraro said. “How are you going to get to my restaurant at 8 o’clock starting time? Paradise, believe me, if you come around it’s a parking lot. You cannot move. I couldn’t even get out of my parking lot last year.”
Contact Mick Akers at [email protected] or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
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