ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Royal Oak’s Rock & Brews restaurant officially opened Thursday with a visit from restaurant chain co-founder and Kiss bassist Gene Simmons.
What You Need To Know
Kiss bassist Gene Simmons cut the ribbon on Royal Oak’s Rock & Brews restaurant Thursday
The restaurant features a rock ’n’ roll theme, full of music memorabilia, as well as live music several days a week
The franchise location is owned by Royal Oak natives Dan and Tony Yezbick, who own two other Royal Oak bars
The restaurant features a rock ’n’ roll theme, full of music memorabilia, as well as live music several days a week.
“Wednesdays we have original bands doing live music, Thursdays we fly in tribute bands from all over the country, and Fridays and Saturdays are cover bands,” said restaurant co-owner Dan Yezbick. “So it’s really a fun, wide array of different music, and it’s really great to have a place to go if you want to hear musicians.”
The restaurant soft-launched last month.
Dan and his brother Tony Yezbick also own Royal Oak’s Fifth Avenue bar and 562 Main Piano Bar.
“These two brothers are not going to brag about it, but they’re the best neighbors you can have in your community,” Gene Simmons said, before cutting the ribbon marking the restaurant’s official opening.
The restaurant is located not far outside of Detroit, a city that played a huge role in launching the band’s early success.
“Everybody talks about Detroit. We owe our stuff to Detroit,” Simmons said. “First city to appreciate the band that I’m in.”
The band recorded several tracks for their 1975 “Alive!” album at Detroit’s Cobo Arena, which is now Huntington Place. Kiss wrote about the city the next year in their song “Detroit Rock City,” on the band’s 1976 “Destroyer” album.
“Kiss’s connection with Detroit is so profound and dates back to the ’70s,” said Yezbick. “So it’s just kind of poetic that it’s all coming full circle.”
The restaurant’s menu is full of rock-related items, such as the AC/DC-inspired We Salute You Pulled Pork, Alice Cooper’s Poison Burger, as well as the Demon Chicken Sandwich in honor of Simmons.
