DOTHAN Ala. Hard Rock Café, but it’s increasingly a little bit country, too. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
More restaurants are branding themselves with country artists, such as Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, or teaming with such big-name country crooners as Tim McGraw for special tour promotions and Alan Jackson for individualized products. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
And Country Crossing, a theme-park-style venue located in the southeastern Alabama community of Dothan, opened the first week of December boasting an entire collection of C&W-artist-theme eateries, from Lorrie Morgan’s Hot Chicken and John Anderson’s Cafeteria to Darryl Worley’s Worley Bird Saloon. The development, which has a $70 million price tag, is about three miles from the Florida border. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
“The singers see an opportunity for entertaining, and not just through a concert,” said Doug Rainer, director of communications for Ronnie Gilley Properties, the Enterprise, Ala.-based developer of the Country Crossing project. “These people have built clout with their names, and they are really able to position themselves as businesspeople and put their names on developments and first-class establishments.” —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
While country stars have long put their names on restaurants—think Roy Rogers teaming with Marriott Corp. in 1968, Minnie Pearl and the fried-chicken chain that fell victim to financial shenanigans in the 1970s, and Kenny Rogers Roasters—the latest projects trade on a Nashville connection as well. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
“Ronnie Gilley is in the music business with three labels in Nashville, Tenn.,” Rainer said. “Everything he’s doing in his developments is tied to entertainment because it gives the whole project a boost.” The Country Crossing project also includes casino-style slot machines based on bingo, for which a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling cleared the way. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
“Country music has a lot of down-home personalities,” Rainer said. “They really enjoy getting into the community.” —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
The Country Crossing development covers 375 acres and lies on U.S. 231, the major route into Florida. Among its restaurants, the Worley Bird Saloon seats about 150 and offers higher-end bar food and a check average of about $10. Lorrie Morgan’s, featuring chicken in several preparations, has 130 seats and a check average of $10 to $12. And John Anderson Cafeteria, featuring Southern comfort foods, seats 175 and has a check average of $17 to $22. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
The Alabama development also includes the George Jones Possum Hollow Bed and Breakfast, a posh seven-room boutique hotel with accommodations at $200 to $275 a night. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
“There’s not a hotel room in all of Alabama that would be nicer than you would have at Possum Hollow Bed and Breakfast,” Rainer said. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
Oklahoma-born artist Toby Keith is the name behind a quick-growing chain of big-box bar-and-restaurant venues. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, licensed by the Capri Restaurant Group of Scottsdale, Ariz., just won approval for a 19,500-square-foot unit in the SouthSide Works development along the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh. The company has similar large-scale units in Kansas City, Mo.; Las Vegas; Mesa, Ariz.; Oklahoma City; and Tulsa, Okla. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
The number of restaurant promotions tied to country stars are also on the rise. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
Outback Steakhouse, the 970-unit casual dining chain owned by OSI Restaurant Partners LLC of Tampa, Fla., has announced a partnership with singer Tim McGraw’s 2010 60-city “Southern Voice” Tour, which is scheduled from February through August. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
Outback is launching a rewards program in January, through which patrons can earn points to be applied toward McGraw merchandise, concert tickets, passes and music downloads. The program will also include special Outback Steakhouse food promotions and sweepstakes. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
“Outback Steakhouse is thrilled to partner with Tim McGraw on his 2010 Southern Voice Tour and feels it is a natural fit, as we both share a deep commitment and passion to giving back to our communities,” Jeff Smith, president of Outback Steakhouse, said when the partnership was announced in October. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
Throughout the tour, Outback and McGraw will be raising money for charities at community dinners in each of the tour cities and through sales of an exclusive McGraw T-shirt. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
Clothing items such as shirts and hats are part of the new Alan Jackson Collection at the 593-unit Cracker Barrel Old Country Store family-dining chain, based in Lebanon, Tenn. The Jackson collection debuted in November and ranges from a signature rocking chair made of Dutch Spruce logs to food items, mugs, candles, decorative throws and jewelry—all items that Cracker Barrel says Jackson approved himself. —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the
Over the past few years, Cracker Barrel has also released exclusive CDs featuring such artists as Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Sara Evans and Charlie Daniels.— [email protected] —The restaurant business might be a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, with Rolling Stone magazine planning a restaurant in Los Angeles and the long history of the