Stars Who Own Restaurants or Food Brands

Celebrity businesses are not limited to fashion, beauty, or production companies.

Many stars have moved into food and beverage, too. Some opened restaurants. Some built tequila, gin, wine, or champagne brands. Others launched coffee, cereal, ice cream, mixers, or fast-casual dining concepts.

These ventures are not all the same. A celebrity may be a founder, co-founder, investor, partner, face of the brand, or creative force behind the concept. That distinction matters.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro is one of the most important celebrity names in the restaurant world because of Nobu.

Nobu grew from the partnership between chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro, and Meir Teper. The official Nobu Hotels story describes the brand as helmed by Matsuhisa, De Niro, and Teper, with restaurants and hotels built around a high-end hospitality experience.

Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo turned his tough-guy screen image into one of Los Angeles’ most recognizable celebrity restaurant brands.

Trejo opened his first restaurant, Trejo’s Tacos, in Los Angeles in 2016. The brand later expanded into other ventures, including Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts and Trejo’s Spirits.

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds became closely tied to Aviation American Gin after acquiring a stake in the brand and becoming its public face.

In 2020, Diageo announced that it would acquire Aviation Gin and Davos Brands. The deal kept Reynolds involved with the business through an ongoing interest, while also making Aviation one of the most famous celebrity-linked spirits brands of the decade.

George Clooney

George Clooney co-founded Casamigos Tequila with Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman.

The brand began as a tequila the founders wanted for themselves, then grew into a major spirits business. Diageo completed its acquisition of Casamigos in 2017 and publicly named Gerber, Clooney, and Meldman as the founders it would continue working with as the brand expanded.

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson created Teremana Tequila.

The brand’s official story says Johnson worked with a Mexican family-owned distillery in Jalisco to build a dedicated home for Teremana, where the tequila is made in small batches.

Blake Lively

Blake Lively entered the beverage space with Betty Buzz and later Betty Booze.

Betty Buzz is a non-alcoholic sparkling beverage brand founded by Lively. The brand says she created it around the idea that drinks should be held to the same standards as food, with real ingredients and a simple flavor approach.

Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg has moved into multiple food ventures, including Broadus Foods and Dr. Bombay Ice Cream.

Broadus Foods identifies Calvin Broadus as founder and Percy Miller as CEO, with a mission tied to diversity and economic empowerment in grocery stores.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z turned his influence in luxury culture into a major champagne business through Armand de Brignac.

The champagne brand, often known as Ace of Spades, became closely tied to Jay-Z’s public image. In 2021, LVMH’s Moët Hennessy acquired a 50% stake in Armand de Brignac, with reports describing it as a champagne brand owned by Jay-Z before the deal.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz co-founded Avaline with entrepreneur Katherine Power.

Avaline positions itself around wine made from organic grapes and ingredient transparency. The brand’s own materials describe it as founded by Diaz and Power because they wanted wine with clearer information about what goes into the bottle.

Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria became a major face and co-founder of Casa Del Sol Tequila.

The brand is closely tied to Longoria’s Mexican heritage and to a female-led leadership story. Food & Wine reported that Casa Del Sol launched as a premium tequila brand with 100% Blue Weber agave sourced from Jalisco and an emphasis on women’s voices in the tequila space.

Nick Jonas

Nick Jonas entered the beverage and hospitality space through Villa One Tequila.

Villa One’s official story says the ultra-premium tequila was founded by Nick Jonas and designer John Varvatos, who connected over their shared love of tequila and celebration.

Post Malone

Post Malone co-founded Maison No. 9, a French rosé wine brand.

The launch announcement described Maison No. 9 as a French rosé created and developed by Post Malone in partnership with James Morrissey and Dre London.

Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner launched 818 Tequila, a premium tequila brand produced in Jalisco, Mexico.

The brand’s official site presents 818 as Kendall Jenner’s tequila and describes it as made from 100% Blue Weber agave in Jalisco, with traditional steps such as brick-oven cooking and barrel aging.

Guy Fieri

Guy Fieri is already a food television star, but he also co-founded Santo Tequila with musician Sammy Hagar.

Santo Spirits’ official founder page describes Hagar and Fieri as friends and founders who built the brand around their personalities and shared work ethic.

Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal founded Big Chicken, a fast-casual fried chicken restaurant chain.

The official Big Chicken site describes it as a restaurant founded by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, serving fried chicken sandwiches, tenders, and shakes.

Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett turned “Margaritaville” into one of the most recognizable celebrity hospitality brands ever.

The Margaritaville brand expanded far beyond one song into restaurants, resorts, merchandise, and food-and-beverage experiences. The Associated Press described Buffett’s business empire as including restaurants, resorts, and branded products inspired by his beach-bum lifestyle and “Margaritaville” identity.

Jon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi took a different path with food by opening JBJ Soul Kitchen.

Rather than building a typical celebrity restaurant brand, Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea, created a nonprofit restaurant model focused on community meals. People reported that JBJ Soul Kitchen operates as a pay-it-forward restaurant where customers can donate, pay a suggested amount, or volunteer for meals.

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart built one of the most famous food-and-lifestyle brands in American media.

Although she is not a Hollywood actor, Stewart is a major television personality, entrepreneur, author, and food figure. PBS describes her as the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and an Emmy-winning television host, entrepreneur, and bestselling author.