New sheriff in Wild West Town: Onesti taking over attraction in Union, with less gun emphasis
Ron Onesti announced Thursday he is taking his suburban entertainment empire in yet another direction — this time to the wild, wild West.
Onesti, president and CEO of Onesti Entertainment and St. Charles' Arcada Theatre, is taking over operations at the 45-year-old Donley's Wild West Town in Union.
The theme park — known for its Cowboys and Indians theme — will open for the season as Onesti's Wild West Town on May 18 and will undergo some changes, Onesti said.
He plans to keep the train, tomahawk throws and panning for gold, but he won't stage cowboy shows or gunfights as he shifts the focus more to music and the legacy of rockabilly.
To that end, he will add stages, increase food options and extend the hours.
“I'm minimizing the gun part, the violence part. .... It's more about making music and memories than it is about guns and gunfights,” Onesti said in a phone interview.
Onesti will also reopen the 200-seat restaurant at the site.
“I am expanding upon the Cowboys and Indians theme, and adding to it more of an Elvis-Johnny Cash-Patsy Cline experience,” he said in a news release Thursday.
“The restaurant will be called Be Bop A Lula's Rockabilly Café and will feature Americana fare and live rockabilly acts.”
Onesti said he had never been to the Wild West Town when he was approached by the Donleys, but he was impressed by the owners' passion and stories he heard from people who had visited.
Still, he said, he wanted something more contemporary — and with a musical twist.
“This is a way to get music involved — rockabilly,” he said.
Founders Larry and Helene Donley decided to retire at the end of last season, but their sons Mike and Randy were also looking for a change, according to the release.
“We are big fans of what Ron Onesti has done with his themed restaurants and music venues,” Randy and Susan Donley said in the release. “This facility has been in our family for 45 years. ... Ron is bringing new life to this wonderful venue.”