12 celebrity-owned restaurants: Jon Bon Jovi's soul food to Sandra Bullock's Texan deli

As Justin Timberlake gets set to open a Nashville restaurant, we reveal the celebrities who are trying their hand at fine, casual and non-profit dining

Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and Channing Tatum have all used their star power to open bars and restaurants, with Timberlake set to open his latest venture, The Twelve Thirty Club, on September 28 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photos: AFP, EPAShow less

No stranger to the celebrity dining scene, multi-Grammy-winning singer Justin Timberlake is set to add restaurateur to his resume when he opens The Twelve Thirty Club on September 28.

The Senorita singer has teamed up restaurateur Sam Fox to launch the Nashville social club, which houses three separate establishments under one roof: live music venue Honky Tonk; cocktail lounge Honorary Member; and The Supper Club, a restaurant.

“Nashville is a city unlike any other,” the singer, who previously founded the now-closed Southern Hospitality restaurant in the city told Travel + Leisure.

“Sam and I wanted The Twelve Thirty Club to stand out and celebrate the different people and cultures that make this place so special.”

Timberlake joins professional skateboarder Tony Hawk in emerging from the pandemic with an eye on what diners are looking for now that socialising is back on the menu. Hawk is set to open Chick N’ Hawk in San Diego in spring 2022, a “fine casual” restaurant serving up seafood and chicken dishes.

Here are 12 more stars with their own dining establishments, from coffee shops and fine dining, to delis and fast food:

1. Mark Wahlberg, Wahlburgers

Along with his brothers – chef Paul, and former New Kid on the Block singer, Donnie – the Hollywood actor owns burger chain, Wahlburgers.

The family business was the subject of reality TV series, Wahlburgers, which ran for 10 seasons. There are now 49 Wahlburgers in the US, along with branches in Canada, Germany and the UK. The brothers' plans to open in Australia and New Zealand have been delayed until next year.

2. Jay-Z, The 40/40 Club

Rapper and mogul Jay-Z turned restaurateur with his New York sports bar and lounge, The 40/40 Club. The relaxed venue celebrated its 18th anniversary in August, hosting an array of stars including Jay-Z’s wife, Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion.

Filled with sports memorabilia, and with a baseball-themed menu, guests can tuck into the likes of 2nd Base Sliders and a salad dubbed the Field Of Greens.

3. Hugh Jackman, Laughing Man Cafe

The Wolverine actor and his wife, Deb, opened Laughing Man Cafe in New York after being inspired by coffee farmers during a visit to Ethiopia.

The Tony Award and Golden Globe winner donates 100 per cent of the profits to his Laughing Man Foundation, which supports global education and development projects and helps support entrepreneurs making a difference in their local communities.

4. Susan Sarandon, Spin

The Oscar-winning actress not only got in on the restaurant game, she also added her own spin (pun intended) on the dining experience. Visitors to the Thelma & Louise star’s eateries can indulge in a game of ping pong, as the chain of restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and San Francisco are described as “ping pong social clubs” that also happen to serve food.

Stars spotted at Spin include Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Martha Stewart and Mark Zuckerberg.

5. Ryan Gosling, Tagine

The likes of Meryl Streep, Salma Hayek and, of course, Eva Mendes, have all been spotted at Beverly Hills restaurant, Tagine, which is owned by actor Ryan Gosling.

Gosling joined forces with chef Abdessamad Benameur back in 2004 to serve up an array of classic and contemporary Moroccan dishes to the creme de la creme of Hollywood. Find braised beef, lamb chops, couscous and an array of tagines, including fish and chicken, on the menu.

6. Lisa Vanderpump, Sur

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star used the popular reality TV series to showcase her restaurant portfolio, with plenty of drama going down at her now-closed Beverly Hills restaurant Villa Blanca. In her own spin-off show, Vanderpump Rules, the British businesswoman opened Sur in West Hollywood, serving classic California dishes including crab cakes and bisque.

7. Jon Bon Jovi, JBJ Soul Kitchen

The famous rocker started his non-profit “community restaurant” with the intention of serving local farm-to-table meals to both paying and non-paying customers. With no prices on the menu, although there is a suggested donation, diners pay what they can afford at any of the restaurant’s three New Jersey locations.

“We say the most important ingredient is love,” Bon Jovi’s wife and JBJ Soul Kitchen co-owner, Dorothea Hurley told The Big Issue. “Dignity and respect grow out of that. We treat everyone who comes through our doors the same.”

8. Sandra Bullock, Walton’s Fancy & Staple

The popular Hollywood actress has twice stuck her toe in the restaurant business. Her French restaurant, Bess Bistro unfortunately shut up shop in 2015, but the Oscar winner still owns Walton’s Fancy & Staple – a bakery, deli and coffee shop in Austin, Texas.

With a menu offering up classic Southern comfort food reflecting the Virginia native’s love of her adopted Texas, customers will find everything from biscuits and gravy to grits on the menu. Plus, you can pick up a bouquet at the in-house florist.

9. Channing Tatum, Saints and Sinners

Magic Mike actor Tatum stuck to his Southern roots when it came to launching his bar and restaurant. Throwing open its doors on New Orleans’ world-famous Bourbon Street, the menu reflects the celebrated seafood of the French Quarter.

“I love New Orleans,” Tatum told The Times-Picayune. “I love the spirit of New Orleans. The Bourbon Street area, Frenchmen, everything. It's just such a vibrant place. I love it down there.”

10. Lady Gaga, Joanne Trattoria

Named for the star’s late aunt, Joanne, which is also the singer's middle name, Lady Gaga’s Italian restaurant on New York’s Upper West Side opened in 2012 and has been going strong ever since.

Serving home-style Italian-American dishes, Gaga opened Joanne’s Trattoria with her father, Joe Germanotta, and features the likes of spaghetti with Sunday gravy, six-layer vegetable lasagne, and veal osso buco on the menu.

11. Zach Braff, Mermaid Oyster Bar

Director and Scrubs actor, Zach Braff turned his love of seafood into a business opportunity, opening the Mermaid Oyster Bar in 2009.

As the name suggests, the restaurant specialises in oysters – with 16 different types available – and seafood, with the lobster roll being a popular dish, all flown in daily from Cape Cod.

12. Francis Ford Coppola, Rustic, Francis’s Favourites

When you’re an Oscar-winning director you get to pick all your favourite dishes to serve up at your restaurant on your family’s vineyard estate. That’s what Godfather director Coppola has done at Rustic in Geyersville, north of Santa Rosa in California.

Leaning into his Mediterranean heritage, the menu features a mix of traditional Italian dishes, as well as international options. The focus is on seasonality and family-style cooking with spaghetti al pomodoro and rack of lamb on Coppola's curated menu.