Gene Simmons and Flavor Flav want to serve you March 2012

By Gail Bellamy & Michael Sanson

How do aging rock stars and rappers compete against the likes of Justin Bieber and other teenie boppers? If you’re Gene Simmons and Flavor Flav, you don’t. Instead, you open a restaurant to stroke your ego.

First up: Flavor Flav’s House of Flavor (March 15). It’s a takeout restaurant offering quick-service specialties such as fried chicken, fried shrimp and signature red velvet waffles. Flav’s place will sit just off the Las Vegas Strip.

Rapper Flavor Flav (with Public Enemy) and reality TV star of programs such as VH 1’s Flavor of Love is known for his “Yeah, boy” shout and the large signature clock he wears around his neck. Drawing on his family background—his father was in the restaurant business—and his own culinary school experience (we can’t verify this), the House of Flavor features recipes and spice rub mixtures he has developed over the years.

The House of Flavor website describes it as “not your average fast food spot.” The restaurant will operate 7 days a week from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. with a grab ‘n’ go pickup line available from noon until 8:45 p.m. While not on the menu, celebrity sightings of Flavor Flav may be in order as well. The restaurant is independently owned and operated by Flavor Flav and not associated with the former business partners.

Meanwhile, Gene Simmons has teamed up with restaurateur Michael Zislis and concert promoter Dave Furano to open and franchise a new restaurant concept called Rock & Brews. It’s billed as a restaurant for music lovers. If you haven’t been living in a cave since the ’70s, you know Simmons is the cofounder of the legendary rock band KISS. He’s also the star of A & E’s reality show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels.

Rock & Brews intends to capture the excitement of live concerts “in an authentically themed backstage environment “ that includes picnic tables, concert lighting, rock posters, rock art and multiple flat screen televisions and speakers that create a 360-degree experience. It will serve bar food favorites, including burgers, sandwiches and pizza. A big feature will be an extensive offering of artisanal craft beers from around the world.

The first Rock & Brews is scheduled to open on April 3 in El Segundo, CA, with several other units planned for Denver, Atlanta, Maui, Tokyo and Los Cabos, Mexico. Zuskis is the mastermind behind Manhattan Beach Brewing Company, Rock ’N’ Fish, Mucho Ultima Mexicana, The Strand House restaurant and a luxury boutique hotel, Shade. Furano is the former president of Bill Graham Presents and was a tour manager for the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and many more bands.