Controversial Musician Kid Rock Is Closing Down His Little Caesars Arena Restaurant

Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit restaurant is pulling out of the Little Caesars Arena in April. Representatives for Ilitch Holdings, which owns the Detroit sports and entertainment venue, confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that musician Kid Rock had declined to renew his licensing agreement for the restaurant.

The news comes as the controversial Macomb County-born musician Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, faces renewed backlash for a drunken rant against Oprah, The View’s Joy Behar, and Kathie Lee Gifford on stage at his Nashville bar. Organizers with the National Action Committee in Detroit were planning a protest in front of the Made in Detroit restaurant for later today, according to the Detroit News.

Chris Granger, group president for sports and entertainment at Ilitch Holdings, addressed the licensing agreement in a statement:

We have been in contact with Kid Rock. He has voluntarily decided not to renew his licensing agreement for the Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit restaurant which comes up for renewal in April. We are in the business of amazing and inspiring our fans and guests through an incredible array of world-class sporting and live entertainment events. As our venues are open, inviting, inclusive, and respectful to all, we look forward to bringing on an exciting new concept that aligns with our community and company values.

In a statement release on Facebook later this morning, Kid Rock writes that he won’t be investing anymore money in the City of Detroit and blames the National Action Network for campaigning against him:

I will not be renewing my licensing agreement for my Made In Detroit Restaurant this April.

I appreciate all who have patronized our place and still have much love for the City of Detroit and the people / organizations that I have helped there for years, black, white, whatever, but learned long ago, go where you’re celebrated, not tolerated.

I guess the millions of dollars I pumped into that town was not enough. I will let the NAN network and others go ahead and take the wheel now. Good luck.

I may be guilty of being a loud mouth jerk at times, but trying to label me racist is a joke, and actually only does a disservice to the black community, which I have supported my entire life, by trying to alienate myself and many others.

PS - Hey Al Sharpton, you or your cronies will never beat me you tax evading, race baiting clown!

Trump 2020!!

250k donated to Eastern Market for the Kid Rock community kitchen

250k donated for the Barbara Bush reading innovative in Detroit

1m raised to help save The DSO

many, many more 10’s if not 100’s of thousands of dollars raised and donated in Detroit by Kid Rock

Kid Rock’s Made in Detroit restaurant with its Southern-influenced menu received a decidedly mixed welcome in Detroit when it opened in 2017. The rocker is an avid Trump supporter whose known to use Confederate flags on stage at his performances. In his most recent rant, he addressed critics who claimed he was racist.

In January, a former employee, Carinne A. Silverman-Maddox, filed a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination at the Kid Rock restaurant. Silverman-Maddox claims that the bar favored white employees and eventually terminated her “based on her race.” The lawsuit, which names food service operator Delaware North, Detroit District Sports Service, Top Dog Records, and Bobby Moscow LLC, is ongoing with the most recent filings posted in November.

Kid Rock, meanwhile, has been attempting selling off local real estate holdings. He listed a waterfront property in Detroit for sale in July complete with images of Jesus in the bathroom and Made in Detroit window shades. However, the listing was removed just eight days later and Kid Rock’s name is still listed by the city as the owner.

Update, 11:25 a.m., December 4: This story has been updated with a statement from Kid Rock.

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