Kid Rock Might Be Opening a Detroit Restaurant Instead of Running for Senate

Detroit metro-born rap-rock-country star, coiner of the term “bawitdaba,” and one-time spouse of Pamela Anderson Kid Rock announced earlier this week that he would be running for the U.S. Senate, but it may just be a ploy to garner attention for a possible Kid Rock restaurant at the forthcoming Little Caesars Arena.

There’s a lot to unpack here, so to start from the beginning: On Wednesday, Kid Rock (real name Robert Ritchie) tweeted out a mocked-up lawn sign reading “Kid Rock for US Senate.” As one of very few people to fit both the categories of “famous rapper” and “Republican,” and as a vocal Donald Trump supporter, it was safe to assume that Kid Rock was hoping to run with the Republican party for a job as pimp senator of the nation.

However, some sleuthing from Crain’s Detroit Business revealed that in May, two companies affiliated with Kid Rock filed for trademarks on “Kid Rock's Made in Detroit Bar & Grill,” almost undoubtedly a restaurant name.

This isn’t Kid Rock’s first foray into the culinary world: earlier this year, his love for manufacturing jobs in the USA led him to launch a rather patriotic line of grills, the American Badass Grill.

There’s very little information available about what such a restaurant might entail, but given that Kid Rock is set to be the opening act at Detroit’s soon-to-open Little Caesars Arena (playing six shows, no less), Crain’s made an educated guess that the arena would be a logical site for the restaurant. A Little Caesars Arena rep didn’t deny this, just stating that retail and dining options for the arena haven’t yet been announced.

Next, conservative-leaning political site the Washington Examiner threw cold water on the possible senate run, suggesting that it was a cynical attempt at grabbing attention for Ritchie’s restaurant.

It’s not exactly clear how the thought of Kid Rock in the senate would prompt potential customers to salivate for a Cowboy Shake, a Bawitdaba Burger, grits sandwiches or whatever else a Kid Rock restaurant might serve — but if one subscribes to the “all press is good press” model of attention seeking, it vaguely makes sense.

The Examiner didn’t have much to offer in the way of proof that the Senate run is just a publicity stunt for the restaurant, but given the trademark filings, one thing does seem likely: Detroit, you’re getting a Kid Rock restaurant.

• Kid Rock trademark points to new restaurant [Crain’s Detroit Business]
• Kid Rock announcement could be a new restaurant in Detroit, not Senate run [Washington Examiner]