The location in San Antonio and Grapevine are still open.
Rock & Brews The Colony / Facebook
Normally, the closing of a chain venue warrants little more than a few words of relayed information. As the Observer's food critic, I often think of events like this related to food-specific reasons. But Rock & Brews's closing when they seemed so ideally situated to their target demographic got us wondering if there's a larger issue at play. Perhaps the appeal of an aging rocker is starting to fade. Or the musical tastes of the suburbs are ready for something new.
Rock & Brew's premise was that of a rock and roll-themed restaurant that doubled as a small venue for live music. Stanley and Simmons remain the most prominent partners of the chain, and their visages are front and center on Rock & Brews' website. When the duo arrived in The Colony to support their first Texas location nine years ago, they seemed to be caricatures of themselves–Simmons never removed his sunglasses–as they spouted scripted responses to why the restaurant venture was important to them. They professed a love of music and food (and veterans!) and promised a venue fit for everyone in the family.
But as the Observer's Jeremy Hallock pointed out at the time, there was a certain irony to Stanley and Simmons, who both claim to abstain from drugs and alcohol, ostensibly opening a large bar and grill. Simmons, fresh off announcing Prince's recent passing as "pathetic" and deriding alcohol as "a slow death," seemed unfazed by the hypocrisy. In one of the cringiest interviews I can recall ever reading, Simmons argued that just because he doesn't partake of the poison, there's nothing wrong with him proffering you the goods. He also referred to the Middle East as "God's armpit" and pontificated at length about using "rock-and-roll" as a verb, then abruptly ended the interview by saying "pleasure to talk to me” and walking away.
Simmons has never been shy about leveraging the KISS brand as a means to expand his personal wealth, famously quipping that "critics say that doing games and slot machines and golf courses is not credible. Critics still live in their mother’s basement. We own the world.” As KISS wrapped their supposed farewell tour in 2023 (the band will reunite in Las Vegas for a "final" show later this year), Simmons launched a solo tour that recently garnered headlines not for the music, but for Simmons' offer of a "personal assistant and Band roadie for the day” experience at his shows. The cost of such an experience? $12,495, show tickets not included. The internet's ire pulled no punches, with a Daily Mail headline proclaiming, "Greedy' KISS rocker worth $400M is slammed for charging fans insane money to be his assistant."
Back in March, Simmons' upcoming Dallas show at House of Blues was postponed, along with sixteen other dates, to be rescheduled sometime in 2026. No reason was given for the cancellations.
As former Observer music and culture editor Eva Raggio previously noted, Dallas's music scene is stocked with loads of talent and venues to showcase them, but fans only want to turn out for music they already know. For reasons Raggio explored in her piece, Dallas live music goers love a good cover or tribute band, and the city has plenty of acts willing to fill the card, albeit at a cost to more original music waiting to be heard.
That desire should mean a venue like Rock & Brews would be well suited to capitalize on those tastes, especially for a generation that has migrated north to the suburbs, but still wants to have live entertainment options. It also explains why venues like Legacy Hall and Lava Cantina (itself just down the street from Rock & Brews) have thrived with packed calendars and equally packed shows, but doesn't explain why Rock & Brews is closing its doors.
It's possible that Rock & Brews finds itself drowned out in Grandscape, where there are better food options. But we can't help but wonder if Simmons is facing a reckoning as the fans he's long courted age out and a younger generation has no interest in taking their parents' place in the KISS Army.
Or, could Dallas's music scene be ready to shift to more original music, as Raggio described, and a venue dedicated to playing the hits of classic rockers no longer fits the bill? As much as we would love to see an explosion of local talent make national waves, that answer is still unwritten.
As for Rock & Brews, there's still the Grapevine location for those in need of classic rock and risk-averse food. As for Simmons, we're certain he's getting by just fine, and we're not concerned in the slightest. Oh, and that pleasure, Gene? All yours, indeed.
