Rock Star Restaurant Photos
One of the perks of becoming a rock star is that you have the money to realize many of your dreams. In the case of the rockers, pop stars and rappers in this gallery, those dreams including opening up their very own bar or restaurant. Click through to learn about eateries opened by the likes of Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jon Bon Jovi and more.
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Jay-Z: 40/40 Club
The 40/40 Club, Jay-Z's chain of high-end sports bars, has locations in New York City, Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
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Ludacris: Straits in Atlanta
Chef Chris Yeo and Ludacris opened Straits in Atlanta on April 24th, 2008. The restaurant's food is mainly inspired by the cuisine of Singapore.
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Ludacris: Chicken and Beer
Ludacris has announced plans to open a restaurant in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world's busiest air-travel hub. "Chicken and beer coming soon!" the rapper tweeted.
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Billy Corgan: Chinese Tea House
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman recently opened up to Eater about his plans to launch a 1930s Chinese-style tea house in Chicago's upscale Highland Park neighborhood. He hopes to open the still-unnamed salon in March or April 2012 and has already signed the lease, and has begun planning a modest menu of exotic teas, vegan sweets and coffee.
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B.B. King: B.B. King’s Blues Club
Legendary bluesman B.B. King has lend his name to a chain of blues club restaurants. The flagship B.B. King's Blues Club is in Times Square in Manhattan, and other locations are in Orlando, Memphis, Nashville, West Palm Beach and Las Vegas.
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Alice Cooper: Cooperstown
Shock-rocker Alice Cooper opened his Cooperstown sports bar in Phoenix, Arizona back in 1998. The establishment, which often hosts live music, is famous for their massive Big Unit hot dogs, which offer a full pound of meat on a French baguette roll.
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Gladys Knight: Gladys and Ron’s Chicken and Waffles
Gladys Knight and Ron Winans' Chicken and Waffles is a soul food hot spot with locations in Lithonia and Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to serving up chicken wings and waffles, the restaurant is known for smothered chicken, salads and cheesecake.
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Gloria Estefan: Bongo’s Cuban Cafe
Gloria Estefan celebrates her Cuban heritage at her chain of Bongo's Cuban Cafe restaurants in southern Florida. In addition to serving up authentic Cuban cuisine, the establishment is also hosts celebrations and live music.
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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: Justin’s
Sean "Diddy" Combs opened his original Justin's restaurant in New York City in 1997. That location has since closed, but the eatery lives on in its second location in Atlanta.
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Kiss: Kiss Coffeehouse
Coffee may not exactly be synonymous with Kiss' music or image, but that hasn't stopped the band from opening a Kiss Coffeehouse in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In addition to the usual coffeehouse fare, the establishment sells a signature drink called the Frozen Rockuccino.
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Johnny Van Zant, Gary Rossington and Rickey Medlocke: Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ and Beer
Lynyrd Skynyrd's BBQ and Beer opened recently at Las Vegas' Excalibur Hotel and Casino. The Southern rockers teamed up with the famous Kreuz Market barbecue restaurant from Lockhart, Texas to design its menu of smoked meats.
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Jennifer Lopez: Madre’s
Jennifer Lopez's restaurant Madre's served Latin cuisine in Pasadena, California from its opening in 2002 on through its closing in the summer of 2008.
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Mike Dirnt: Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe
Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt opened the original Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe in Emeryville, California in 2002. The restaurant, named after a classic Clash song, serves up classic American diner fare with fresh, mostly locally sourced ingredients.
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Sammy Hagar: Cabo Wabo
Sammy Hagar opened the first of his Cabo Wabo cantinas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 1990, but has since expanded to other locations in Nevada, including one on the Las Vegas Strip.
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Scott Weiland, Duff McKagan and Brett Scallions: Snitch
Velvet Revolver bandmates Scott Weiland and Duff McKagan teamed up with Brett Scallions to open Snitch, a "rock & roll sports bar" in the Flatiron district of Manhattan in 2004, but it ended up closing for good in 2009.
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Jon Bon Jovi: JBJ Soul Kitchen
Jon Bon Jovi opened a "pay-what-you-can" restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey intended to encourage volunteer work in the area. The JBJ Soul Kitchen, an establishment specializing in healthy variations on classic soul food dishes, does not have prices on its menu. Instead, diners can either earn free meals by doing volunteer work in the community or pay a suggested donation.
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Justin Timberlake: Southern Hospitality
Justin Timberlake co-opened the original Southern Hospitality soul food restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 2007, but fellow pop star Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic opened his own franchise in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood last year.
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Moby: TeaNY
Moby founded the TeaNY vegan café in Manhattan's Lower East Side in 2002 with his girlfriend at the time, Kelly Tisdale. Moby has since split from the venture, but the restaurant remains to this day, and Tisdale sells a line of TeaNY bottled drinks throughout the New York area.
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Vince Neil: Tres Rios Cantina
Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil opened his Tres Rios Cantina at the Las Vegas Hilton in 2010. In addition to serving tequila and Mexican-inspired cuisine, the establishment features memorabilia from the singer's career in rock and entertainment.
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Donnie, Paul and Mark Wahlberg: Wahlburgers
Mark and Donnie Wahlberg opened the Wahlburgers burger restaurant with their older brother Paul last year at the Hingham Shipyard outside the brothers' native Boston, close to their Italian restaurant, Alma Nove.