Everyone knows that fame can be fleeting. While some celebrities manage to hang on to fame for as long as they want (the Meryl Streeps, and Elton Johns of the world, for example), other celebrities may not have as long of a career or as many years to earn the big bucks that the ultra-famous can make. Enter the side hustle. Lots of stars have bonus income streams, ranging from investing in real estate to doing sponsored content on Instagram to opening up restaurants.
Celebrity-owned eateries have been a thing for decades now, with some obviously mixed results. It turns out that nobody really wanted to eat at the supermodel-owned Fashion Café or at Flavor Flav's multiple failed attempts at the fried chicken game. But there are some celebrities who've owned or co-owned some surprisingly successful and higher-end foodie joints, including steakhouses, seafood and oyster bars, and even a South African–Israeli fusion restaurant that is going on its 10th year in business. Yes, we are revealing in this article who owns the South African–Israeli fusion joint, and no, there is absolutely no way anyone is going to guess who it is!
Bad Bunny
One of the newest celebs to the restaurant game is actor and rapper Bad Bunny. He launched a new Japanese-inspired steakhouse called Gekkō in Miami in August 2022. In addition to sushi, prime steaks, and a sexy vibe, the restaurant also features plant-based meals.
Piper Perabo
OK, time for the big reveal! The mystery celeb who owns the multicultural fusion restaurant mentioned above is none other than Piper Perabo. While she is best known for her role in the 2000 classic Coyote Ugly, she's been a co-owner of a New York City restaurant called Jack's Wife Freda for more than 10 years.
Martha Stewart
It makes a whole bunch of sense that Martha Stewart has a restaurant, right? She's been in the cookbook and entertaining game for decades now. It is a little surprising that The Bedford — which is said to be "a replica of Martha's 1925 [Bedford, New York,] farmhouse with culinary inspiration drawn from her legendary gardens" — is in Las Vegas, because Martha's vibes aren't really Vegas, but the restaurant has a prime spot in the Paris Las Vegas hotel.
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro has owned a restaurant in New York City called the Tribeca Grill since 1990. The dining hot spot also counts Billy Murray, Sean Penn, and Christopher Walken as investors and has been well regarded by critics. We're kind of into the idea of trying the crab cake blessed by one of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum dances and acts — and apparently sometimes helps at the bar of his New Orleans restaurant, Saints and Sinners. One thing that is cool about this celeb restaurant is that a portion of all sales is donated to charities that help feed children. Love that!
Michael Jordan
NBA great Michael Jordan's side hustle of playing baseball didn't work, but his success in the food biz is pretty impressive. He debuted his first Michael Jordan's Steak House in 1998 and has since opened three more locations.
Pharrell Williams
Bad Bunny isn't the only musical celebrity who is rocking the culinary scene in Miami these days. Pharrell Williams is a co-owner of a European-style restaurant in the Design District named Swan, which features locally sourced ingredients and a pink decor scheme that evokes some old Miami glamour.
Chip & Joanna Gaines
While there may be multiple celebrity restaurant options in places like Miami, New York City, and Los Angeles, there is likely only one choice for patrons of star-powered cuisine who happen to find themselves in Waco, Texas. Fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines are flocking to their breakfast and lunch joint, Magnolia Table, for comfort food including pancakes and pumpkin pie donut holes. Yum! We'd hit that.
Zach Braff
Zach Braff played a goofy doctor on Scrubs, but since those days he's been working steadily as a director and and now co-owns a high-end eatery called The Mermaid Inn. The restaurant has four locations in New York City. The vibe is casual New England seafood shack.
Olivia Culpo
Actress, model, and professional Instagram thirst trap Olivia Culpo co-owns two restaurants in Rhode Island with her family. The first, Back40, has been in business for four years, and they recently launched a new place called Union & Main in the summer of 2022.
Jay-Z
Launching a restaurant or sports bar is a risky proposition. About 60% of restaurants fail in their first year and 80% will close within five years. Those stats make it even more impressive that Jay-Z's 40/40 nightclub and sports bar — located in New York City — has been in business since 2003.
Ryan Gosling
Let's be honest, a lot of us have probably had a daydream or two about going on a date with the always hunky Ryan Gosling. Well, it turns out we can update that daydream to include him taking us out to eat at Tagine, the Beverly Hills, California, restaurant he opened in 2004.
Danny Trejo
Character actor Danny Trejo has been in more than 250 movies and TV shows (so we've all seen him in something). But he's also been super successful in the field of tacos as well as donuts. Trejo's Tacos, with four locations in Southern California, serve food we'd happily wait in line for.
Ty Burrell
When we think about a city with happening nightlife and a bar opened by a celebrity, we have to admit that Salt Lake City isn't the first place that comes to mind. But Modern Family star Ty Burrell is trying to change that with his Beer Bar restaurant. Hit it up for, yes, beer as well as hearty German food.
Lady Gaga
Owning a restaurant is a family affair for Lady Gaga. Her parents have been restaurateurs in New York City for years, and she's co-owner of an Italian eatery named Joanne Trattoria. The restaurant and Gaga's album Joanne were both named after her aunt.
