The latest country signer to open a bar in downtown Nashville is none other than Kid Rock, who is partnering with the owners of Nashville icon Tootsie’s to create the latest honky-tonk on lower Broadway.
Rock’s bar will be a $20 million four-story entertainment venue and steakhouse that has yet to earn a name. The musician partnered with Al Ross and Steve Smith to bring his vision to life.
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“I’m scared to put my name on anything because my name is on it,” Rock told the Tennessean. “If I put my stamp on it and have a vision for it and it’s something that’s detrimental, it’s not worth the money or risk. At this point, I don’t need to take risks. I want to do things that are fun and with good people.”
Ross and Smith have a hand in Tootsie’s, Rippy’s and Honky Tonk Central, with Rock sharing that he spends more time at Tootsie’s than any other bar in Music City.
“I like that — the history they’ve had here and they’ve been doing this before the big conglomerates started coming in and pouring in their money,” Rock said. “They are invested in not only living here, but invested in Broadway and businesses around it.”
Unlike many of the bars on Broadway, Rock’s venue will have a more rock ‘n roll vibe, with Rock hoping to showcase the rock scene in Nashville.
The venue will have a bar and stage on every floor, including the rooftop. Each floor will feature large windows that can be opened when the weather allows.
Along with entertainment, Rock wanted the space to house restaurant-quality food, with a menu to have options including high-end steaks, sliders on King’s Hawaiian rolls and salads.
Rock is already a seasoned member of the bar and restaurant world, as he has a venue, Kid Rock‘s Made in Detroit, in his Michigan hometown.
“Having something successful in Detroit was a big relief for me because obviously if I can’t do it in Detroit, I’m not going to be able to do it anywhere else,” he explained.
The singer will join several of his fellow country stars when his venue opens in Nashville. Florida Georgia Line has their venue, FGL House, Alan Jackson has AG’s Good Time Bar, Blake Shelton recently opened Ole Red, John Rich launched Redneck Riviera, Dierks Bentley has Whiskey Row and Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar just notched its opening weekend.
“When Steve was talking about this, I was like, ‘Hmm, everybody’s doing it,’” Rock recalled. “And I don’t really want to do it unless I can bring something to the table besides money. If we can really do something creative and make it a little bit different than the other spots.”
Photo Credit: Twitter / @KidRock
