Exclusive: Kid Rock, Tootsie's owners to open new Broadway honky-tonk New $20 million entertainment venue and steakhouse on Lower Broadway will have a rock 'n' roll vibe

Lizzy Alfs | The Tennessean

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Lower Broadway is about to get a little more rock ‘n’ roll.

Rock/country superstar Kid Rock has partnered with the owners of Tootsie’s to open a roughly $20 million, four-story entertainment venue and steakhouse with a bent toward rock music in the country music capital.

Al Ross, Steve Smith and Robert “Kid Rock” Ritchie detailed their plans for the yet-to-be-named bar and restaurant in an exclusive interview with The Tennessean Thursday evening.

“I’m scared to put my name on anything because my name is on it. If I put my stamp on it and have a vision for it and it’s something that’s detrimental, it’s not worth the money or risk. At this point, I don’t need to take risks. I want to do things that are fun and with good people,” said Ritchie, standing on the rooftop at 217-219 Broadway overlooking the crowded street on the first day of the 2018 CMA Music Festival.

Ritchie’s friendship with Ross and Smith dates back more than a decade. A part-time Nashvillian with property in Whites Creek, Ritchie said he spends more time at Tootsie’s than any other bar in the city. He even married his then-wife Pamela Anderson at the iconic Lower Broadway bar.

Ross and Smith helped establish Lower Broadway as a hub for country music fans around the world with their bars Tootsie’s, Rippy’s and Honky Tonk Central. They also own The Diner, the building that houses Broadway Brewhouse and the parking lot next door. As Nashville’s tourist industry has exploded in recent years, so too have their honky-tonk businesses; Honky Tonk Central alone made $20 million in revenue last year.

“I like that — the history they’ve had here and they’ve been doing this before the big conglomerates started coming in and pouring in their money. They are invested in not only living here, but invested in Broadway and businesses around it,” Ritchie said.

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Ross and Smith purchased the former Trail West building at Third and Broadway for $8.4 million in 2014. They announced plans six months later to open a steakhouse and live music venue at the site, and they demolished the building after it was declared unsafe and unfit for human habitation by Metro Codes.

Today the property is a construction zone, with the structural rebuilding complete and cosmetic work up next on the docket. They hope to open the venue in about one month.

The four-story venue will have a bar and stage on every floor including the rooftop deck, with a large mezzanine overlooking the raised stage on the first-floor. Huge windows surround the space on every floor and they can be opened when the weather is nice.

“This whole place is a patio,” Smith said.

Ritchie said he wants to showcase Nashville’s thriving rock music scene with a classic honky-tonk feel and quality food. Menu options will include high-end steaks, sliders on King’s Hawaiian rolls and salads.

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“When Steve was talking about this, I was like, ‘Hmm, everybody’s doing it.’ And I don’t really want to do it unless I can bring something to the table besides money. If we can really do something creative and make it a little bit different than the other spots,” Ritchie said.

Ritchie is the latest celebrity addition to Nashville’s honky-tonk row, joining the ranks of Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, John Rich and Alan Jackson.

But Ritchie’s not new to the bar/restaurant industry — he opened Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit restaurant in his hometown last year and said it has been a huge hit.

“Having something successful in Detroit was a big relief for me because obviously if I can’t do it in Detroit, I’m not going to be able to do it anywhere else,” Ritchie said.

Reach Lizzy Alfs at lalfs@tennessean.com or 615-726-5948 and on Twitter @lizzyalfs.