What Rock & Brews does

Rock & Brews is a privately held American casual dining restaurant chain founded in 2010 by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS, operating under Rock & Brews Holdings, LLC. The company operates physical restaurants across at least seven U.S. states—California, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Florida, Kansas, and Wisconsin—with a thematic identity built around classic rock music, scratch-made American cuisine (burgers, pizza, pub fare) prepared from locally sourced ingredients, and a craft beer selection that emphasizes local brews. Over fifteen locations are documented, including venues embedded in tribal gaming properties such as Potawatomi Casino Hotel (Milwaukee and North Woods), and a pending ilani Casino Resort location has been announced.

The business operates a hybrid company-owned and franchise model. Revenue is generated from four primary streams: in-restaurant food and beverage sales, franchise fees and royalties (with a minimum three-store area development requirement for new franchisees), private event catering and corporate bookings (business meetings, team-building, birthdays, executive dinners, holiday parties, networking events), and ancillary income from gift cards, merchandise, and the Roadies email/SMS newsletter program. Pricing is set at the individual restaurant level and is not publicly disclosed; online ordering for takeout and delivery is supported through the company's website location finder. Distribution is regional across the United States, with no international footprint claimed.

The technology stack is minimal: Google Analytics for website measurement and PopMenu for digital menu and ordering, with no proprietary platform, mobile app, API surface, or AI/ML capability disclosed. Customer segments span general consumers and families, private event hosters, and casino visitors and entertainment seekers. Marketing is multi-channel, including the company website, social media, the Roadies newsletter (with SMS opt-in), earned media coverage in outlets such as Thrillist and Nation's Restaurant News, and on-premises live music events. Institutional investment, private equity backing, and disclosed revenue figures are absent from the available data.

Name

Rock & Brews

Legal name

Rock & Brews Holdings, LLC

Website

https://rockandbrews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rock & Brews is a privately held American casual dining chain founded in 2010 by KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, operating over 15 scratch-made food and craft beer restaurants across seven U.S. states, with embedded casino locations and an active franchise program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• American casual dining
• Craft beer restaurants
• Themed restaurant chain
• Franchise restaurant development
• Private event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue from scratch-made American cuisine including burgers, pizza, and craft beers served at restaurant locations. Food is made from scratch using locally sourced ingredients.
2. Franchise Fees: Minimum Area Development requirement of three stores for new franchisees. Revenue generated from franchise development and ongoing franchise fees.
3. Event Catering and Private Dining: Revenue from hosting events including business meetings, team-building experiences, birthday celebrations, executive dinners, holiday office parties, and networking events.
4. Gift Cards and Merchandise: Revenue from gift card sales and promotional merchandise through the company's online storefront.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rock & Brews operates a rock-themed American restaurant chain serving scratch-made food (burgers, pizza, pub fare) prepared daily from locally sourced ingredients, paired with craft beer and unique local brews in a live rock music atmosphere. Founded in 2010 by KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, the company runs company-owned and franchised dine-in locations, online takeout/delivery ordering, private event and catering services, gift card sales, and a franchise development program requiring a minimum three-store Area Development commitment.

Product overview

Rock & Brews is a rock 'n' roll-themed American restaurant chain featuring scratch-made food and craft beer, founded in 2010 by KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. The core offering centers on the restaurant dining experience with locally sourced scratch fare, unique local brews, and live music atmosphere. Supporting offerings include party reservations and event hosting services, a Roadies newsletter program with SMS marketing, gift cards, and a franchising program requiring minimum three-store development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rock & Brews Restaurant Dining Casual American dining experience featuring scratch-made burgers, pizza, and pub fare paired with craft beer and live rock music, served at company-owned and franchise restaurant locations across the U.S. for families and individual diners.
• Party Reservations and Event Hosting Venue rental and event hosting service for large groups including business meetings, team-building experiences, birthday celebrations, executive dinners, holiday office parties, and networking events, with on-site food, beverage, and entertainment.
• Rock & Brews Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards redeemable at Rock & Brews restaurant locations, sold online through the CardFoundry storefront for gifting purposes.
• Rock & Brews Franchising Franchise opportunity enabling entrepreneurs and multi-unit operators to open and operate Rock & Brews restaurants under the company's brand, systems, and operational support, requiring a minimum Area Development commitment of three stores.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Potawatomi Casino Hotel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Rock & Brews operates restaurants within Potawatomi Casino Hotel properties. The partnership brings rock-themed dining and live music to casino visitors. A second Wisconsin location was announced at Potawatomi's North Woods Casino, with Gene Simmons attending grand openings.
• KISS (Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Rock & Brews was co-founded by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, members of the legendary rock band KISS. The celebrities provide brand identity, marketing appeal, and connection to rock music culture. The founders travel extensively and discovered the universal appeal of satisfying food, leading to the restaurant concept.
• BLACKENED WhiskeyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRock & Brews partnered with BLACKENED Whiskey to create a signature cocktail called 'Whiskey in the Jar' featuring BLACKENED American Whiskey.
• ilani Casino Resort (Pending)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRock & Brews announced plans to open a location at ilani Casino Resort in a tribal gaming and hospitality partnership.
• ThrillistminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in Thrillist article 'Eat Like You're Famous at These Celebrity-Owned Restaurants in LA' covering celebrity-owned restaurants in Los Angeles.
• Tasting TableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in Tasting Table article '15 Celebrity-Owned Restaurants, Bars, And Cafes In Los Angeles' providing media coverage and brand exposure.
• Nation's Restaurant NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in coverage of KISS's 50th anniversary celebration at Rock & Brews restaurants, highlighting the partnership and brand connection to the rock band.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hard Rock Cafe: The original celebrity/rock-themed restaurant chain with a global footprint; the most directly comparable competitor given shared rock-and-roll heritage positioning, full-service casual dining, and merchandise/licensing revenue streams.
• Planet Hollywood: Celebrity-owned themed casual dining chain operating restaurants and merchandise programs in tourist and entertainment districts; comparable as a celebrity-branded full-service concept leveraging entertainment IP.
• Yard House: Upscale casual dining chain famous for an extensive craft beer selection (100+ taps) and American scratch-made menu; comparable on craft-beer-led casual dining with broad bar appeal.
• Dave & Buster's: Eatertainment concept combining full-service casual dining with on-site entertainment (arcade/games); comparable to Rock & Brews' positioning of live music and rock culture as core experience alongside full meal service.
• Twin Peaks Restaurant: Casual dining chain with a lodge/sports-bar atmosphere emphasizing craft beer, multiple TVs, and entertainment-driven dwell time; directly comparable to Rock & Brews' scratch-made food + craft beer + music positioning.
• BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse: Casual dining chain combining in-house brewery operations, deep-dish pizza, burgers, and a broad beer list; comparable on scratch-made American fare plus craft beer as a primary differentiator.

Broad incumbents

• Buffalo Wild Wings: National casual dining/sports bar chain with extensive craft beer selection and entertainment-driven atmosphere; comparable as a scaled competitor in the beer-and-entertainment casual dining segment.
• Chili's Grill & Bar: Large national casual dining chain with broad bar/menu offering; comparable as a scaled mainstream competitor in American casual dining with bar-led traffic.
• Applebee's: Iconic American casual dining chain with full bar and franchise-driven expansion; a relevant scaled comparator for franchise economics and category-level exposure to casual dining traffic trends.
• TGI Fridays: Established American casual dining chain with full bar program and themed restaurant experience; a comparable scaled competitor facing the same category-level traffic headwinds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rockandbrews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rock & Brews