Despite how vocal celebrities often are about their business ventures and upcoming projects, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of exactly how many projects they’re involved in. One day it’s cosmetics, the next it’s energy drinks and protein bars. The reality is that being a celebrity means getting comfortable having several pots on the stove, whether that means being an actress-singer-producer or some other combination of multi-hypenate.
Beyond just slapping their name on a mid-tier liquor bottle, though, a lot of celebs opt to make more strategic investments by founding their own businesses or acquiring a stake in already established ones, and the restaurant industry seems to be a natural fit for stars looking to maximize their investment. For one, restaurants can be incredibly lucrative depending on the type of concept, and objectively, it’s more secure than knowing whether or not you’ll book your next big role.
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That said, we can’t always tell whether our favorite restaurant benefits from celebrity influence unless it’s highly publicized, like Shaq’s endorsement of Papa John’s. In fact, you might be surprised by which A-lister is behind your favorite local eatery, but lucky for you, we’ve rounded up 10 to alleviate some of the mystery. And who knows, maybe you’ll spot them on your next outing.
10 Restaurants You Didn’t Know Were Owned by Celebs1. Las’ Lap (Michael B. Jordan)
Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com
(Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com)
Beyond just being a newly minted Best Actor Oscar-winner—and only the sixth Black man to do so—Michael B. Jordan also happens to know his way around the kitchen. Although he isn’t a trained chef per se, the Sinners leading man has never shied away from showing off his culinary chops and notoriously enjoys whipping up a variety of dishes from tacos and pasta to everything in between. Naturally, he’s also part-owner of an Afro-Caribbean restaurant and rum bar called Las’ Lap, and, well, let’s just say it’s almost as endearing as the award-winning actor himself.
The restaurant is named after the hour before the end of Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, and the brand translates that lively vibe into dishes and cocktails that’ll make you feel like you’ve been transported to the islands. With a location in New York and a second in Miami helmed by Top Chef alum Kwame Onwuachi, Las’ Lap is equal parts vibrant lounge and a culinary destination. Menu highlights include jerk chicken eggrolls and codfish fritters with mango aioli.
2. Gekkō (Bad Bunny)
lev radin / Shutterstock.com
(lev radin / Shutterstock.com)
Bad Bunny’s meteoric rise is one to be studied, but outside of just being arguably the biggest Latin trap and reggaeton artist out right now, he’s also the co-owner of Gekkō, a Japanese steakhouse in Miami. While it might seem like a departure from his Latin roots, the restaurant itself celebrates the kind of global fusion Benito is known for. Among a sea of traditional Japanese fare and sushi dishes, you’ll find oak-smoked chicken with an Asian-inspired jerk marinade or mac and cheese made with a miso cream and milk bread crumb. It’s bold and unapologetic, much like El Conejo Malo himself.
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3. True Food Kitchen (Oprah)
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
(Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com)
It’s not exactly surprising that someone with an estimated net worth of $3.2 billion would find the time to invest some of that money into a successful chain of restaurants, let alone if that someone is as magnanimous as Oprah. In 2018, the media mogul and cultural icon announced that she had made a significant and undisclosed investment in True Food Kitchen, a health-focused restaurant concept with over 46 locations nationwide.
The brand calls itself a seasonal restaurant and scratch bar with an intense focus on using the freshest, healthiest ingredients it can find. Whether that means sourcing organic Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes for their sauce or committing to eliminating seed oils from every ingredient on their menu, TFK aims to make food that’s not only good for you, but good for your taste buds, too. Oprah might just be on to something.
4. Blue Tree Café (Nika King)
DFree / Shutterstock.com
(DFree / Shutterstock.com)
When she isn’t delivering a world-class performance as Rue’s mom in Euphoria, you can probably find Nika King actually working at Blue Tree Café, a vegan soul food restaurant based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Founded in 2007 by Nika’s mother, chef Sharon Allen, the restaurant is known for offering classic soul food dishes like rasta pasta, collard greens and mac and cheese, all with a plant-based twist.
The goal of the pick-up-only restaurant located in the heart of historic Sistrunk, a once-thriving Black neighborhood and cultural business center, is to provide underserved communities with access to healthier food options. It also serves as a virtual business incubator, helping Black and Brown vegan chefs turn their dreams into reality by providing a platform to sell their food. Their first is Oh So You’re Vegan, a plant-based business that makes crispy “chik’n” sandwiches from golden fried oyster mushrooms.
5. Somerville and Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen (Issa Rae)
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(DFree / Shutterstock.com)
When it comes to multi-hypenates Issa Rae probably has more dashes behind her name than anyone else. She’s a director, producer, writer, actress and entrepreneur with everything from haircare to prosecco. She is quite literally everything, and keeping true to that title, Issa Rae also happens to be involved in not one but two food and beverage ventures: Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen and Somerville.
Both brands embody the everything, everywhere, at once vibe Issa has going on, with Hilltop being more focused on curating a casual vibe where creators from all walks of life can connect over really good coffee and breakfast sandwiches, and Somerville being more of a sultry after-hours jazz club aesthetic.
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6. Sweet Chick (Nas)
DFree / Shutterstock.com
(DFree / Shutterstock.com)
Nasir Jones, better known as the rapper Nas, knows all about curating a vibe, and when he isn’t doing it on wax, he’s helping bring the energy to Sweet Chick, the popular New York-based chicken and waffles restaurant. After becoming an investor and co-owner early on, Nas quickly infused his signature New York swagger into the brand, creating a buzzy see-and-be-seen spot with five locations scattered across the Big Apple. Beyond just being a hotspot for celebs, Sweet Chick is known for turning out mouthwatering creations like blueberry muffin waffles, crispy fish sandos, and, of course, chicken and waffles.
7. Nic & Norman’s (Norman Reedus)
OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES / Shutterstock.com
(OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES / Shutterstock.com)
Mysterious and brooding Norman Reedus, known for playing Daryl Dixon on the hit AMC series The Walking Dead, might not be the first person you’d think of when it comes to owning a restaurant, but after you visit Nic & Norman’s, you’ll get it. The beloved bar and Southern-style eatery has five locations in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky and features classic comfort food in a speakeasy-style setting. Think: exposed brick and original architecture, with meatloaf and fried-chicken pot pie. It’s equal parts rugged and alluring, similar to Norman’s iconic portrayal of Daryl Dixon.
8. Blaze Pizza (LeBron James)
Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com
(Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com)
Outside of being one of the greatest basketball players of all time, LeBron James also happens to be a major investor in the buzzy build-your-own-pizza chain Blaze Pizza. The brand, with over 300 locations globally, is known for offering guests the opportunity to build their own pizza creations with unlimited toppings, then fire it in a blazing-hot oven for about two minutes. From the build to your plate, it’s meant to be blazing fast and full of flavor.
9. SPiN (Susan Sarandon)
OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES / Shutterstock.com
(OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES / Shutterstock.com)
Susan Sarandon is a woman of multitudes. Beyond being an award-winning actress with a career spanning nearly six decades, she’s also a notable table tennis enthusiast who turned that passion into SPiN—a ping-pong social club. The brand was founded in 2009 and has nine locations (and counting) across the United States and Canada.
Essentially, SPiN operates as part lounge and entertainment club and part table tennis arena, where guests can reserve spots at Olympic-grade tables to fight for the title of ping-pong champion. And luckily, if you’re more of a spectator, they’ve got a world-class food menu too. Whether you’re craving a Korean chicken sandwich or cast-iron gnocchi mac and cheese, it’s worth a visit for the food alone. They’ve even got a burger called “The Marty,” a nod to Marty Reisman, the real American table tennis player who inspired Marty Supreme.
10. International Smoke (Ayesha Curry)
DFree / Shutterstock.com
(DFree / Shutterstock.com)
It’s no secret that Ayesha Curry knows her way around a kitchen. She’s a successful cookbook author and media personality who notably hosted her own cooking show, Ayesha’s Home Kitchen, on Food Network. With that in mind, it’s not exactly a leap to think that she’d be interested in owning a restaurant. What initially started as a pop-up in 2016 has since ballooned into a full-blown brick-and-mortar called International Smoke.
The restaurant, founded by Ayesha Curry and James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina, celebrates the tradition of cooking over an open flame and highlights a global array of flavors and cuisines. Notable standouts include the “Peking” pork belly bao buns, Ayesha’s Cornbread with a Thai red curry butter and the smoked “Galbi” beef short rib.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.