It’s always exciting when a beloved celebrity ventures into the restaurant business: the promise of glamour, star power, and unique ambience can make a dining spot feel like a must-visit. Yet fame alone doesn’t guarantee success. Behind the lights and cameras lie challenges like location, management, and food quality. Over the years, many celebrity restaurants have closed their doors, leaving only memories behind. Here are nine famous examples that show how unpredictable the dining world can be.
1. Nyla (Owned by Britney Spears)
In the summer of 2002, pop icon Britney Spears opened Nyla inside The Dylan Hotel in Manhattan, blending her Louisiana roots with New York flair. The name came from “NY” and “LA,” representing both cities. Initially, the menu focused on Cajun cuisine before switching to Italian in a desperate bid to attract diners. However, the restaurant struggled from the start, going massively over budget. Spears ended her involvement within months, and by the end of 2002, Nyla had permanently closed its doors.
2. Madre’s (Owned by Jennifer Lopez)
Jennifer Lopez opened Madre’s in Pasadena, California, in 2002 as a heartfelt tribute to her mother and heritage. The restaurant served Cuban and Puerto Rican dishes like ropa vieja and empanadas, drawing celebrity crowds and fans eager for a taste of J.Lo’s flair. Despite its glamorous opening, reviews began to cool over time, with critics citing inconsistency and poor management. After six years of operation and dwindling public interest, Madre’s quietly shut down in 2008, ending Lopez’s first restaurant venture.
3. The Clubhouse (Opened by Kevin Costner)
In 1999, actor Kevin Costner brought his love for casual American dining to Costa Mesa, California, by opening The Clubhouse. Designed to feel like an upscale golf club, it offered hearty classics such as steaks, seafood, and salads. Initially, the concept found moderate success, appealing to locals and movie fans alike. However, high operational costs and changing dining trends took their toll. After a decade in business, The Clubhouse closed in 2009, leaving behind fond memories of Costner’s attempt at hospitality.
4.Dive! (Co-Owned by Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg)
In 1994, director Steven Spielberg and producer Jeffrey Katzenberg joined forces to launch Dive!, a submarine-themed restaurant in Los Angeles. The bright yellow, neon-lit space recreated the look of a deep-sea vessel, complete with portholes and sirens that went off every half hour. The novelty drew early crowds, and a second branch opened in Las Vegas. Yet the concept proved too gimmicky to sustain long-term. By the end of the decade, both locations had closed, leaving Dive! as a short-lived Hollywood experiment.
5. Straits (Opened by Ludacris)
Rapper Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges opened Straits, an Asian-fusion restaurant in Midtown Atlanta in 2008, offering an ambitious menu including dishes such as “Kung Pow Lollipops.” The design was sleek and the location prime, but the dining prices were steep and the concept didn’t fully connect with a large enough local audience. By early 2012, the venue had closed as Ludacris shifted to other airport-based concepts. The case shows how even well-backed celebrity ventures may struggle if concept, price, and audience don’t align.
6. sHe by Morton’s (With Eva Longoria)
Eva Longoria partnered with the Morton’s steakhouse group in 2012 to open sHe by Morton’s in Las Vegas, marketed as a “female-friendly” fine dining spot. The space mixed glamorous design with smaller steak portions and fashion-inspired events. Though the idea was bold, critics found the theme confusing, and health inspections later cited dozens of violations. The restaurant couldn’t recover from the bad press and operational troubles, closing its doors in 2014 just two years after its much-hyped opening.
7. VegiTerranean (Launched by Chrissie Hynde)
In 2007, The Pretenders’ frontwoman Chrissie Hynde opened VegiTerranean in Akron, Ohio, combining vegan ethics with upscale Italian-American cuisine. The eatery earned early praise for its creativity and commitment to cruelty-free dining, attracting both locals and out-of-town visitors. Unfortunately, the 2008 recession and high costs made survival difficult. Despite Hynde’s passion for the project, she announced its closure in 2011, calling it “a labor of love” that simply couldn’t withstand the economic climate.
8. Flav’s Fried Chicken (By Flavor Flav)
Rapper and reality TV star Flavor Flav tried his hand at the restaurant business in 2011 with Flav’s Fried Chicken in Clinton, Iowa. The idea was simple: southern-style fried chicken inspired by his family recipe. Despite an enthusiastic launch, the venture quickly ran into trouble. Reports of unpaid employees, poor food handling, and disputes between business partners surfaced within weeks. After only a few months, the restaurant closed abruptly, ending one of the shortest celebrity restaurant ventures in history.
9. Justin’s (Founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs)
In 1997, Sean Combs, better known as Diddy, opened Justin’s in New York City, named after his son. Offering upscale soul food with a modern twist, the restaurant became a hotspot for celebrities and fans alike. Its success led to a second location in Atlanta the following year. Yet by the late 2000s, business slowed as competition increased and trends shifted. In 2012, Diddy closed the final Justin’s location, marking the end of an era for one of hip-hop’s most ambitious dining projects.
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