FOODIE EMPIRE: KISS' Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley will soon open Corona Rock & Brews
I don�t often receive calls from rock stars. In fact, I never do. So I was secretly thrilled while trying to be cool when I got a call from The Demon last week.
�Is this Laurie?� he asked in his deep, velvety voice. �This is Gene Simmons.� Yes, that Gene Simmons, bass guitarist and singer with Kiss, the rock band he co-founded with rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley in the early 1970s. So what did the alter ego of The Demon, he of the black-white-and-red makeup, platform shoes and Red Carpet length tongue, want to talk about with me?
Food and drinks and classic rock �n� roll. Simmons, Stanley and three other business partners are opening soon a Rock & Brews restaurant at 3550 Grand Oaks, The Crossings in Corona. The location is in the 6,400-square-foot building occupied by former tenants Bubba Jacks and On the Border.
Simmons is confident that Corona�s R&B will be as wildly popular as the 15 other Rock & Brews he and his pals started opening in 2012. Within the next three to five years, as the quintet ratchets up expansion plans, Simmons said they expect to be a billion dollar company.
Whether in big cities or the heartland, every Rock & Brews they�ve opened has hit a homer, Simmons said.
So what makes Rock & Brews so successful? �It goes to the essentials,� Simmons said. �Nobody has to come. There are choices, so many choices.�
The biggest draw, he said, are the Asian chicken wings, �Godzilla-sized� burgers from fresh meat, homemade sauces, salads, including kale, pizzas full of gluten or gluten free, and humongous pretzels.
�You can watch your girlish figure or pig out,� Simmons said.
And although he isn�t fond of the smell or taste of alcohol, customers can indulge in 100 craft beers, many of them regional. At the grand opening this summer � a date has yet to be determined � you�ll probably find Simmons sipping a diet Snapple that�s half iced tea, half lemonade.
�People come because they like the experience,� Simmons said. �Our restaurants are a little bit different, reminiscent of beer gardens in Germany, wide open with long, communal tables. There�s not a sense of, �I�m a VIP and you�re not.� �
R&Bs are not sports bars, but as Simmons puts its, the vibe is �a little sexy,� great for mingling. At the same time, the joints are family friendly, filled with games, including ring toss, life-sized Jenga stacking blocks, beanbag toss. The Buena Park R&B, which opened this past September, even sports a beach volleyball court.
�At one end of our restaurants there�s a plastic toy area with padded floors, a secluded area for kids where they can put on Kiss makeup,� he said. �You can see the play area from everywhere in the restaurant.�
Along with displays of memorabilia, multiple televisions will play concert footage or music videos synced to the rock music playing on the speakers.
�Paul and Gene did not do this for the money. They�re very wealthy,� CEO and founding partner Michael Zislis said of the multi-multi millionaires. The Kiss frontmen helped design the logos, menu, ambiance and oversee the quality of food.
