Amid franchise expansion, Rock & Brews is launching a new, first-of-its-kind platform that places rock and roll at the center.
Co-founded by KISS frontmen and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons in 2010, the brand combines American classic comfort food, craft beer, and an upbeat rock-and-roll soundtrack.
With up to 24 beers on tap, dishes made from locally sourced ingredients, and rock music videos playing on LED screens, Rock & Brews keeps up with providing guests with a 360-degree rock-and-roll experience.
Rock & Brews continues to thrive in the restaurant, casino, and Native gaming industries through its maturing corporate team, growing franchise program, and creative umbrella of concepts. The concept can be found across 23 locations in seven states, including California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin. In addition to standalone restaurants, Rock & Brews has established itself in stadiums, airports, exposition centers, and casinos.
Lately, the brand has focused on its impact on the casino and gaming industry.
“One thing Rock & Brews does so well when we’re working with casinos is taking an existing space and turning it into a totally new rock-and-roll experience,” CEO Adam Goldberg says. “There are casinos out there that need fresh concepts to get new customers in, and the Rock & Brews brand is a perfect marketing tool for that.”
The idea is to provide guests with a lively experience and a new dining option, thus converting them into players in the gaming facility. This symbiotic relationship boosts the Rock & Brews presence as well as the casino’s.
The constructive collaboration between Rock & Brews and casinos is a tried-and-true relationship, with six high-profile locations established so far: The Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, Casino Braman, Rolling Hills Casino, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, and the iLani Casino Resort.
The Potawatomi Hotel & Casino restaurant—which opened in August—celebrated with a month-long series of events, including an exclusive ribbon cutting ceremony spearheaded by Stanley and Simmons. With every grand opening, the brand stays committed to its musical roots, hosting concerts and artist tributes.
The brand’s latest installment, the Rock & Brews Restaurant and Concert Bar, was announced in early November. The 10,000 square-foot space will be the first of its kind and is slated to open next spring within the iLani Casino Resort in Ridgefield, Washington.
Goldberg says Ridgefield’s Rock & Brews location will be a unique, hybrid conversion of an existing music amphitheater into a restaurant and concert bar. It will feature 15 LED screens, countertop gaming, a dance floor, performance stage, and two full-service bars.
In partnership with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, the concert hall will be free of charge, hosting performances from local artists and well-known national acts alike.
“[Having free music] was part of our design plan,” Goldberg adds. “We asked ourselves, ‘how do we get people from the casino and restaurant to enjoy the music?’ Hence, when we mixed everything together, the concert bar idea was established.”
The concert hall idea comes on the heels of a growth push fueled by franchise expansion, with six restaurants in development to open within the next 18 months. Goldberg mentions numerous projects in the brand’s pipeline, adding to its substantial expansion plans in the next two to three years.
Amid a burgeoning casino footprint and franchise program, Goldberg says strengthening the Rock & Brews corporate operations team has been an asset to streamlining growth.
“Our operations team spends a lot of time on the ground with corporate stores, franchisees, and licensees,” Goldberg explains. “We are making sure our concepts have the same great hospitality, and for us, that starts with the culinary. It is important to us that our dishes look great and taste fantastic no matter where you are.”
Moving into 2024, the brand is zeroing in on pushing into the Pacific Northwest market, with continued growth in Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
“The reason why families come to Rock & Brews and why players come to our restaurant from the casinos is the universal language of rock-and-roll,” Goldberg says. “We have locations in airports, stadiums, casinos, and neighborhood areas. The common thread is good old rock-and-roll, great food, and better hospitality.”
