KISS’ Simmons planning rock restaurant on Maui

Gene Simmons, KISS frontman and reality TV star, plans to open a restaurant and entertainment venue on Maui that also will be welcoming to dogs.

The first Rock & Brews restaurant will be in El Segundo, Calif., and will open April 3, with others to follow in Los Angeles International Airport; Maui; Denver; Atlanta; Tokyo; and Los Cabos, Mexico.

No additional information about a Maui location was available through a publicist, and none of the partners could be reached to discuss their proposed timeline or why they chose Maui.

The restaurant concept was inspired by Michael Zislis, a Los Angeles restaurant industry figure, and concert promoter Dave Furano, who are Simmons’ partners in the venture.

The design, including picnic-table seating, is intended to capture the excitement of concerts in a backstage environment but be welcoming to families and canine pets, according to a publicity statement.

The casual American menu will include Opening Act appetizers, VIP salads, "Headliner" sandwiches, handmade burgers, Front Row pizzas and Encore desserts, all said to be rock musicians’ favorite foods, the statement continued.

Bar offerings will include hundreds of craft beers from around the world.

Decor is to include rock posters and large-screen TVs continuously displaying concert videos and other live recordings, played through state-of-the-art sound systems.

Simmons gained fame as the makeup-obscured, long-tongued frontman for the rock band KISS, but has more recently become better known for his marketing and self-promotion savvy, via a cable-TV reality show.

In opening the eatery, Simmons follows a host of Hollywood and recording industry celebrities whose names are associated with restaurant chains, such as Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, House of Blues and Jimmy Buffett’s Margarita­ville.

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On the Net:

» www.rockandbrews.com