Some of the most famous celebrity chefs have restaurants in Las Vegas.
In the competitive restaurant industry, having a celebrity backer can help you cut through the crowds.
According to JLL's Celebrity Restaurant Report: This year, 70 celebrity-backed restaurants are set to open, the second-highest number of openings since 2021, when 81 restaurants opened.
In the past five years, a total of 361 celebrity restaurants have been opened by well-known people, including famous chefs, actors, musicians, etc. According to a JLL study, 37% of restaurant openings were backed by celebrity chefs and 32% were backed by actors.
With 1,832 new restaurant openings announced in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2024 alone, the restaurant industry is booming and highly competitive, making attracting investors, appealing to landlords and connecting with customers major challenges.
“Celebrities have the advantage of name recognition and large, loyal fanbases,” the report noted, “which may be one of the reasons why celebrity restaurant openings have grown so much in 2021 and have not declined significantly since.”
According to the report, signing on to a project backed by a high-profile celebrity can be a boon for real estate developers. It increases public interest and generates a large share of media and social engagement, which in turn translates into increased foot traffic. According to a 2023 survey by Amex Global Travel (American Express Travel 2023 Global Travel Trends Report), 40% of respondents have been inspired to visit a particular destination by a celebrity influencer.
Each city is home to a different type of celebrity restaurant concept; in Nashville, for example, the city's iconic Lower Broadway district is home to a number of restaurant concepts featuring country music stars, many of which feature live music. New establishments opening there this year include This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen, a six-story bar, restaurant and live music concept from country singer Morgan Wallen and JBJ's Nashville from rock singer Jon Bon Jovi.
Las Vegas hotels are using celebrity chefs' restaurants to highlight them: British chef (and TV personality) Gordon Ramsay operates five restaurants in hotels along the Strip and is set to open two more this summer (Planet Hollywood and the Flamingo), while Food Network star Guy Fieri currently operates four restaurants in Las Vegas.
The report noted that celebrities can own all or part of the businesses that bear their names, or they may have licensing or management agreements — and most restaurant patrons wouldn't be able to tell the difference between these different structures, and probably wouldn't care.
“Whether the star is paid or the owner, in the eyes of the customer it is still a star restaurant,” JLL said.
Wahlburgers, run by executive chef Paul Wahlberg and actor brothers Donnie and Mark, opened the most locations during JLL's study period, with many of its new stores located inside Hy-Vee supermarkets.
The report lists some of the most dynamic and well-known restaurateurs by category, including:
•Celebrity chef: Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, Jose Andres;
•actor: Mark Wahlberg, Robert De Niro, Norman Reedus
•athlete: Shaquille O'Neal, Carlos Dunlap, LeBron James;
•comedian: Kevin Hart, George Lopez
•Influencer: Lisa Vanderpump, Thuy Nguyen
•musician: Drake, Ne-Yo, Jimmy Buffett
data
JLL's research team has created a database of celebrity restaurants opening between 2019 and 2024, including restaurants scheduled to open in 2024. JLL's database includes both celebrity-owned and licensed concepts.
