Kiss News

KISS is Everywhere!

Gloria Estefan's grandson loves KISS!

Rock & Brews' Paul Stanley, Michael Zislis and Dave Furano making it official! We're Serving Those Who Rock at the AT&T Center in San Antonio! Thank you San Antonio Spurs and Aramark!

Thanks to the Camden Family of Switzerland for sharing these photos and video with us!

KISS!

He arrived. The KISS‬ pinball premium version. We created a small museum open to the public in our store. You can discover the guitars Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Bruce Kulick.

The KISS Pinball Corner today welcomes its new resident. And the Camden family is happy!

KISS is Everywhere‬! SO COOL!!

Mexican engineering students (robotics) from Tec de Monterrey in Campus Estado de M�xico, attending to the final project session. They had to build a LED matrix and show a KISS logo "dancing" at the rhythm of a KISS song (each team selected a different song). Everyone had to select a ‪KISS‬ character and they had to wear that makeup for this session (BTW, I'm the one at the top).

Preaching the KISS Gospel and recruiting new members for the ‪KISS Army‬!

Enrique Altamirano

By Hector Saldana / San Antonio Express

A bona fide rock god will be singing �The Star-Spangled Banner� and touting craft suds Friday at the AT&T Center.

Paul Stanley, the Starchild of the legendary rock act Kiss, will be at center court before the Spurs play the Los Angeles Lakers. He�ll be in town for the grand opening of Rock & Brews, the new classic rock-themed restaurant and craft beer pub at the renovated arena. Stanley and bandmate Gene Simmons are among the cofounders of the venture launched in 2012.

This is the first Rock & Brews at a sports arena, and the Spurs want that fact shouted out loud.

Rick Pych, Spurs Sports & Entertainment president of business operations, said the organization is honored to have the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in the house.

�Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have utilized the same passion and enthusiasm that made Kiss a rock legend to create a fantastic restaurant experience,� Pych said.

Bill Summersett, a San Antonio native and Kiss memorabilia collector who for decades was a diehard member of the Kiss Army, said the family restaurant will be a hit.

�I�m sure it�s gonna draw a ton of people,� said Summersett, who has been to more than 30 Kiss concerts. He has caught guitars Stanley broke and threw off stage, and he has owned items such as a Kiss pinball machine, Kiss condoms and Kiss comic books printed with red ink that included the group members� blood.

�Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are marketing geniuses. There�s nothing they haven�t made,� Summersett said.

Rock & Brews combines Stanley�s love of cooking, local produce and classic rock. Away from Kiss, he plays with the soul and R&B revue Soul Station.

Stanley recently talked by phone about craft beer, culinary possibilities and being grateful for rock �n� roll.

Did you ever imagine the rise of craft beer culture?

Beer has become the new wine. Beer is crafted, at this point, by people who understand notes and where it hits you on the palate. The care that�s put into it has been a long time coming. It�s very interesting to see beer go beyond something that you guzzle at a sports event or that you drink for a buzz.

Which is trendier, rock �n� roll or food?

One doesn�t rule the other. Rock �n� roll is essential. The foundation of Rock & Brews certainly is a love of classic rock. But then that foundation is used to build something very unique, almost a lifestyle, where people can enjoy great beer, great food, and I don�t mean franchise slop. (It�s) a food experience where if you want to bring your children out for the day, you don�t have to eat cardboard pizza served by somebody dressed as a rat.

What�s your favorite Rock & Brews craft beer?

I love a rich, dark lager. But we have samplers where there are multiple glasses and it�s great to sample in the same way you might sample different wines.

How about the food?

I think the fish tacos are awesome. The burgers are off the charts. We have pretzels. Everybody is used to soft pretzels. But our pretzel dough comes in from Germany. We have a beer cheese that�s awesome to dip in.

No orange cheese nachos?

There�s nothing wrong with that. We�ve all sat at games and had that cheese food product. God only knows what it is. Why not enjoy something that�s really, really good? Once you elevate your taste buds a bit there�s no going back.

Why are you so active in the promotion?

I don�t believe in putting my name on anything I don�t believe in.

What about the national anthem?

I did it at Dodger games. I starred in �Phantom of the Opera.� So I consider myself a singer that sings rock as opposed to a rock singer. �The Star-Spangled Banner� is a real interesting one in that people tend to obliterate it when they do it and turn it into a showcase for vocal gymnastics instead of singing it as it was written. If you�re looking for showboating, you�re not going to hear it. The anthem should be sung with respect.

By W. Scott Bailey / L.A. BIZ

San Antonio is making some new rock �n� roll history. The Alamo City will serve as a testing ground of sorts for a relatively young restaurant company whose partners include Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of the iconic rock band KISS.

Rock & Brews, which is based in Manhattan Beach, will make its official debut in San Antonio at the AT&T Center on Dec. 11. During an exclusive interview with Stanley, the KISS front man said the Alamo City restaurant will represent Rock & Brew�s initial entry into the sports stadium scene.

�This is our first arena installation. This is the one that will lead the way,� Stanley said about the AT&T Center venue, which will feature a rock �n� roll theme, American comfort food and a wide selection of craft beers.

Stanley said Rock & Brews partners were looking for an opportunity to expand the restaurant and bar concept hatched roughly five years ago into the sports stadium setting.

�Moving into arenas now just seems like the next logical step,� Stanley told me. �We�ve done quite a bit of research into arenas. San Antonio and AT&T Center came up at the forefront.�

It helps that KISS has a long-standing connection to San Antonio, having performed in the Alamo City numerous times over its more than 40-year run.

�Our history with San Antonio goes back literally decades,� Stanley said. �It�s been terrific. To watch it thrive and grow has been very satisfying for me. So we couldn�t pick a better place. We came up with a deal that worked out for everyone, and we are proud of the installation.�

Rock & Brews will work to integrate local flavors and products at its San Antonio venue.�We want to be good stewards,� Stanley said.

If all goes as expected, Rock & Brews could expand its presence in a city with a rich rock history, as well as a growing reputation in the culinary and craft beer industries.

�Does San Antonio deserve another one? I would say so,� Stanley said, when asked if Rock & Brews would consider developing a more traditional, free-standing restaurant in the Alamo City to complement the AT&T Center venue. �The people in San Antonio will ultimately decide.�

You know what would go great with anything? This shirt!

CLICK HERE to buy it now!

Thanks to Micha for sharing these great KISS tattoos with us!

The KISS Army Rocks!

KISS Front Men Tap Footwear Giant As They Continue Thoughtful Expansion of Their Popular Restaurant Brand

Rock icons Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, announced today that they have appointed Michael Greenberg, president of SKECHERS USA, Inc., to the board of directors of their rapidly expanding restaurant company, Rock & Brews.  

Rock & Brews was co-founded by Simmons and Stanley along with restauranteur Michael Zislis and concert industry veterans Dave and Dell Furano and currently has 12 family-friendly restaurants in the United States and Mexico with three additional locations set to open by January 2016. Having recently completed a rollup forming Rock & Brews Holdings, LLC, the company, founded in 2012, expects to surpass $70 million in revenues in 2016 with plans for 30 percent growth annually for the foreseeable future.

�Greenberg has the entrepreneurial spirit, business savvy, enthusiasm and social consciousness to help Rock & Brews expand strategically and intelligently,� said Simmons and Stanley in a joint statement.  �He is a visionary and we are proud to have the opportunity to tap his genius.�

Greenberg is a 30-year veteran and a distinguished visionary in the footwear industry.  He co-founded SKECHERS with his father Robert Greenberg in 1992, and has served as president since its inception.  He previously held senior positions with LA Gear.  

In just 23 years with SKECHERS, Greenberg has taken an idea and turned it into an international success story.  The company, recognized worldwide for both its high performance athletic shoes and trendy lifestyle footwear, experienced meteoric growth and currently sells product in more than 120 countries with annual sales in excess of $2.3 billion.  As a result of numerous license agreements, SKECHERS also offers branded apparel, bags, watches, eyewear and additional merchandise.  

 �From day one, SKECHERS focused on product development, compelling marketing and an aggressive growth strategy and we found the winning combination that propelled our brand and filled a niche in the industry that appealed to a broad consumer audience,� said Greenberg. �Rock & Brews is a unique brand that appeals to a multi-generational audience and I am excited to be a part of their board of directors and a part of their growth.�

It is not only Greenberg�s success with SKECHERS that appealed to Rock & Brews. A consummate entrepreneur with a magic touch, he has also been instrumental in the successful expansion of a notable Southern California-based pizza company, and was one of the co-founders of the luxury boutique hotel brand Shade Hotels.  The flagship Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach, Calif., has been named the #6 reason to visit Los Angeles by Conde Nast Traveler, one of the top 25 �trendiest hotels� by Trip Advisor, and one of the top 10 boutique hotels in Southern California in USA Today.

Rock & Brews has captured a significant amount of restaurant industry attention and, working with multi-unit franchise partners, the brand is expanding with three distinct concepts into communities, airports and arenas.  Only two years after the first restaurant opened, Nation�s Restaurant News named Rock & Brews as one of the 10 cutting edge restaurant concepts set to redefine foodservice on its 2014 list of �Breakout Brands� and, most recently, the magazine included the brand among the �Next 20� restaurant chains poised to join the Top 200 in the industry.   Restaurant Business Magazine also recognized Rock & Brews as one of the �Future 50� fastest-growing small chains in America in its June 2015 issue.

www.RockandBrews.com

Here are a few photos from the recently opened Rock & Brews in Buena Park, California.

www.rockandbrews.com/location/buena-park/