Lucky Esther's gambling house opens in unincorporated Cary

There’s a new corner store gambling house now open in unincorporated Cary.

Lucky Esther’s opened Feb. 28 at 6504 Silver Lake Road.

The convenience and grocery store includes gaming machines and a selection of liquor for sale.

In the months leading up to the opening, the Lucky Esther's sign featured the phrase "alcohol 2 go" – a roadside advertisement McHenry County Board member Chris Christensen called "garish." But when Lucky Esther's opened last week, the sign had been changed to include the phrase "corner stop" instead.

The owners behind Lucky Esther’s are the same people behind Tony V’s Pizzeria: siblings Tony Vanacora and Maria Wildeboer. Tony V’s Properties Inc. bought the building next door to the restaurant in September 2017.

The building had belonged to a family trust tied to Halina Rez – the owner of Rez’s Food Mart, a convenience store that served hundreds of unincorporated Cary residents before the sale to Tony V’s Properties.

The business is named after the siblings’ mother, Esther, who enjoys gambling. Tony Vanacora, who has slot machines inside Tony V’s Pizzeria, plans to run the convenience store similar to Rez’s Food Mart – only this time, the shop sports slot machines.

Built in 1948, the 1,576-square-foot building includes a 432-square-foot space for the store. There also is a kitchen and storage room.

Lucky Esther's is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to
11 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.