Bonanza Merch
Description: Dan Blocker, who you might know better at Eric "Hoss" Cartwright, opened the first Bonanza in 1963. Two brothers, Sam and Charles Wyly bought the small restaurant chain 3 years later. By the late 1980's the Wyly brothers had opened roughly 600 locations. At this time both Bonanza and their rival Ponderosa were purchased by Metromedia. In the 1990's the two chains were unified as a single restaurant concept, but still operated under the Ponderosa or Bonanza name. There is currently 13 Bonanza locations still open.
Description: The Bonanza was a western-themed hotel and casino that opened in July 1967 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was built right on the strip in between the Three Coins and the Galaxy Motel, both of which served as the Bonanza's lodging as despite the name, the Bonanza didn't actually have any hotel rooms. The casino did however have a luxurious theater that screened classic western films, which was a popular respite from the casino floor. Additionally, the casino became popular for its country music acts, many of whom were big name artists or would go on to be big names. There had been plans to add a high-rise hotel to the casino, but this never materialized. The Bonanza would change hands in the early '70s and towards the end of 1973, was demolished.
