Full Breakdown
Country Music Stars Expand Their Brands Through Restaurant Ventures
12/30/2025, 9:31:12 PM
The Rise of Country Music Restaurants
Nashville, a city synonymous with country music, has seen several of its prominent stars venture into the restaurant industry, merging Southern cuisine with live music experiences. This trend has created fan-centric venues that serve as both dining establishments and entertainment hubs, providing artists with additional revenue streams beyond traditional touring and royalties.
Notable Restaurant Ventures
Several country music artists have established successful restaurant chains, each offering unique dining experiences:
Luke Bryan: Luke's 32 Bridge Food + Drink
Luke Bryan's establishment, located at 301 Broadway in downtown Nashville, is named after a bridge in his hometown of Leesburg, Georgia. Bryan aims to create a versatile venue where patrons can enjoy dining, nightlife, or a honky-tonk atmosphere. The restaurant features a diverse menu, including burgers and beer can chicken.
Blake Shelton: Ole Red
Blake Shelton co-owns Ole Red, which has locations in Tennessee, Las Vegas, Oklahoma, and Orlando, Florida. Each venue offers a regional menu and live performances, designed to provide a concert-like experience. Shelton noted the lack of country music venues in Las Vegas as a motivating factor for his expansion.
Jason Aldean: Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop Bar
Adjacent to Bryan's restaurant, Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop Bar offers Southern cuisine and handcrafted cocktails. Aldean emphasizes the importance of providing a platform for artists to perform, stating that the venue serves as a cool bar for both local and visiting acts.
Kid Rock: The Detroit Cowboy
Kid Rock's The Detroit Cowboy focuses on seafood and steak, featuring a raw bar and steak tartare. Opened in Nashville in 2024, Rock describes the restaurant as a relaxed environment where customers can enjoy good food.
Miranda Lambert: Casa Rosa
Miranda Lambert's Tex-Mex restaurant, Casa Rosa, opened in 2021 and offers a blend of Texas-inspired dishes and Southern favorites, including Nashville hot chicken. The venue also features live music and is strategically located near other celebrity-owned eateries.
Dierks Bentley: Whiskey Row
Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row, which began in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2013, has expanded to locations in Denver and Tennessee. The restaurant serves classic Southern dishes with a unique twist, and Bentley has expressed a personal connection to Nashville's Broadway, calling it a "full-circle moment."
Honorable Mention: Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill
Although Toby Keith passed away in 2024, his name continues to be associated with Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill, which serves comfort food favorites. The brand operates two locations in Oklahoma, offering dishes like ribeye steaks and fried bologna sandwiches.
Conclusion
The trend of country music stars opening restaurants reflects a growing intersection of culinary and musical experiences, providing fans with unique venues to enjoy both. As these artists expand their brands, they contribute to Nashville's reputation as a culinary and entertainment destination.
