All you need to open a restaurant is some money and somewhere to do it. The real challenge is keeping it open. From singers and actors to models and the occasional celebrity chef, many have attempted to launch successful restaurants – and many have had to admit defeat. Here we look at the celebrity restaurants that have flopped, from flash-in-the-pan ventures to long-running eateries that eventually fizzled out, counting down to the biggest failure of all.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover which celebrities couldn’t cut it in the restaurant world.

We've based our ranking on the short-lived nature of and reception to each restaurant, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

Larios on the Beach opened in 1992 and was one of the go-to spots for Cuban food in Miami during its lifetime. Overlooking Ocean Drive, the restaurant was owned by musical power couple Gloria and Emilio Estefan. Devised by chef Odell Torres, Larios' popular dishes included bacon-wrapped plantain, pork tamales and arroz con pollo.

The popular restaurant was closed in 2020 and the property the couple owned for nearly 30 years has since been sold. Two of their other restaurants, Estefan Kitchen in Miami and Bongos Cuban Café at the Walt Disney World Resort, have also closed, while another Estefan Kitchen location in Orlando remains open.

Australian celebrity chef Adrian Richardson spent 25 years as the owner and head chef of La Luna Bistro in Melbourne. He focused on handcrafted dishes made using quality produce, and the bistro soon became a favourite in the Carlton North neighbourhood. His passion for food led to a television career and even his own food podcast. The 25th anniversary of the restaurant’s opening was celebrated with special events championing the local community – but it wasn’t long after this momentous occasion that the bistro closed.

In 2024, Richardson announced that the restaurant would be shutting down. He partly blamed increasing costs for the closure, saying that everything from the price of insurance and energy to staff wages had gone up. He continues to run other restaurants in Victoria, including Maestro in Geelong and has also begun investing in restaurants in Brisbane, Queensland.

Jamie Oliver gained fame for his cheeky personality and no-frills cooking on his 1999 television show The Naked Chef. He launched Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, a restaurant that gave underprivileged people experience in the culinary industry, in 2002. It was closely followed by Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain in 2008 and Barbecoa, a steakhouse with two locations in London, in 2017. Although it seems the TV personality bit off more than he could chew, with the restaurant group announcing its administration in May 2019.

Jamie’s Italian was launched to disrupt mid-market dining in the UK. It offered good value meals such as lasagnes, pizzas and pasta made from fresh, quality ingredients and at first it was successful. The chain’s problem became its inability to keep up with changing food trends. Despite an injection of cash by Jamie himself in 2017, the brand was unable to be saved with 1,000 jobs lost and 22 branches of the chain shutting in the UK. Oliver continues to run two London restaurants, plus eateries around the world under Jamie’s Italian, Jamie Oliver’s Deli and several other brands.

Even celebrity chefs can feel the heat when it comes to running their restaurants. TV chef Gordon Ramsay, of Hell's Kitchen fame, opened posh sushi and Asian-fusion spot Maze in London's Mayfair in 2005. It held a Michelin star between 2006 and 2015, with high-profile chefs in the kitchen and creative plates of food on the menu (think scallop ceviche with truffle, yuzu and caviar, and roasted cod in Champagne sauce). 

Despite more than a decade of success, in spring 2018 it was announced that Maze would close in 2019. This followed a reported £3.8 million ($4.7m) loss for Kavalake, Ramsay's umbrella restaurant group. Ramsay has since opened a new Pan-Asian concept in Mayfair called Lucky Cat, which has expanded to a second London location and a Manchester restaurant and his other restaurants, including his flagship venue in London's Chelsea and the Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, remain open.

This restaurant's closure was announced in July 2020 as the outlet's lease expired and the landlord was not willing to renegotiate the increasing rent. In a statement, Lisa Vanderpump confirmed that they were looking to bring the restaurant back in another Los Angeles location, but that never happened. A veteran of the restaurant industry, she continues to run SUR and TOM TOM in Los Angeles, in addition to the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. In 2023, Vanderpump announced the closure of another of her restaurants, PUMP Restaurant and Lounge, after 10 years.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and her husband Ken Todd once ran 26 restaurants and Villa Blanca in Beverly Hills was one of their most successful ventures. Opened in 2008, the elegant restaurant specialised in top-notch Mediterranean cuisine, serving pizza, pasta and seafood dishes, like tuna tartare, grilled shrimp and crab cakes.

Much like director Steven Spielberg's famous films, Dive! – his bizarre, nautical-themed restaurant – was dramatic, colourful and larger than life. Opened in 1994 in LA's Century City neighbourhood, the restaurant took the shape of a giant yellow submarine. Fittingly, it specialised in sub-style sandwiches, with a kitsch gift shop too. Lauded film studio exec Jeffrey Katzenberg was also in on the project – but even these two creative geniuses couldn't make it big in the restaurant world.

The film aficionados opened the eccentric LA spot with a view to rapidly expand the concept into other cities around the country. The duo did manage to open a branch in Vegas, but their project ultimately saw diners coming in smaller numbers. By 1999, the Los Angeles restaurant had closed and by the early 2000s the Las Vegas outpost was also shut.

The Bodyguard actor Kevin Costner opened The Clubhouse in 1999 in Costa Mesa, California. It was a golf-themed venue that sat somewhere between an upmarket restaurant and, as the name suggests, an elegant clubhouse. Costner was committed to making the restaurant accessible to the general public, and diners enjoyed comforting American-style dishes such as chicken pot pie served at reasonable prices.

Despite a string of celebrity investors (including fellow actor Robert Wagner), the restaurant didn't manage to survive. After a decade of great reviews and local praise, it was announced that The Clubhouse would close in 2009. The reasons surrounding the closure remain a mystery. In February 2024, it was revealed that Costner’s new Utah-based studio would include a 'Costner-themed restaurant', although what exactly that means remains unclear.

The LA venue especially drew a celebrity crowd with its gourmet pasta dishes and polished interiors. Though reviews were generally positive, the restaurants failed to maintain their momentum and eventually went under. The trio of venues had closed by 2012, with controversy around unpaid rent and unclear communication regarding a sale surrounding two of the closures.

Unfortunately for the Italian entrepreneur, his restaurants were put under immense financial strain during the COVID-19 pandemic and it was announced the outlets were entering liquidation in January 2022. However, D’Acampo's other projects weren't affected, and he launched premium Italian restaurant brand Luciano in summer 2021, followed by several Gino D’Acampo branded hotel restaurants around the UK.

There's no doubt that actor, singer and dancer Jennifer Lopez is an all-rounder and, in 2002, she decided to stick her finger in yet another pie. J.Lo opened her Latin American restaurant in the Californian city of Pasadena. She called it Madre's (Spanish for mother's) and it served dishes such as empanadas and ropa vieja. But despite a star-studded launch and a six-year run, the restaurant eventually buckled. 

Madre's had its fair share of problems over the years and reviews were mixed. In 2005, the restaurant's reputation was rocked by animal rights protestors who took up position outside to protest against the singer's fashion line. Lopez also hired her ex-husband, Cuban actor Ojani Noa, to help run the spot. But Noa claimed he was unfairly fired some six months afterwards, leading him to sue for breach of contract. Madre's closed in 2008.

German rapper Samy Deluxe tried his hand at the restaurant business when he invested in Gefundenes Fressen BBQ DLX in Hamburg. The restaurant was opened in the city’s trendy Karolinenviertel neighbourhood in 2015, serving American-style barbecue, burgers and soul food. The menu featured everything from barbecue veal ribs to pancake burgers and blue cheese pumpkin mac ’n’ cheese, with the restaurant and its 1970s vibes receiving generally positive reviews.

Unfortunately, the stylish spot didn’t last and Deluxe (real name Samy Sorge) announced that it would be closing in 2020. The rapper left the restaurant world, saying that it was a hard business to be involved in, while also setting out his intentions to keep the restaurant’s premises to record a podcast and create content.

From its opening in 2012, Guy's American Kitchen & Bar, from Food Network star Guy Fieri, was ribbed by critics. Despite this, the restaurant in New York's Times Square welcomed a steady stream of customers, who dined on American comfort food from belly-busting burgers to chicken tenders.

Loyal fans and curious tourists weren't enough to keep the restaurant going, though, and at the end of 2017, it finally closed. But not before a lively New Year's Eve event and a gushing farewell from Fieri, who spoke of his pride in what the spot had achieved over its five years of business.

Presenter of TV game show Wer wird Millionär? – the German version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? – Günther Jauch became a restaurant owner in 2019, partnering up with top chef Tim Raue to open Villa Kellermann in Potsdam. The restaurant, which was housed in a historic building once belonging to a Jewish banker who fled to Switzerland in the 1930s, quickly became a hotspot for foodies, serving a modern German menu.

The restaurant’s success didn't last, though. Raue left the business in 2023, handing over to head chef Christopher Wecker. In 2024, it was announced that the venue would be closing for good that June, with a message citing COVID-19, increasing operational costs and 'a tense personnel situation' as the reasons for closure.

The Pretenders front woman and staunch animal rights activist Chrissie Hynde opened a vegan restaurant in the city of Akron, Ohio in 2007. Ethically minded VegiTerranean was an immediate hit. It served comforting pasta dishes, pizzas, sandwiches and delectable vegan desserts in stylish but down-to-earth surrounds.

Local support wasn't enough to keep VegiTerranean afloat, though. The US was in financial crisis during the restaurant's lifespan, and this had a devastating impact on an otherwise well-loved celebrity restaurant. In 2011, Hynde released a heartfelt statement on the restaurant's website announcing the end of VegiTerranean, calling it a 'labour of love' and citing the current economic climate as the reason for the closure.

Many a chef has attempted to make it big in London, often regarded as one of the top cities for fine dining in Europe, if not the world. Spanish chef David Muñoz (also known as Dabiz Muñoz) is no exception and, in 2016, set his sights on bringing an outpost of his Madrid restaurant StreetXO to the English capital. The fusion restaurant, with a menu combining Spanish and Asian cuisines, was established as a more casual and affordable offering compared to the Michelin-starred chef’s tasting menu restaurant, DiverXO.

The London venture lasted for about four years but, unfortunately, StreetXO London was one of the many victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of 2020, it was announced that the restaurant, located in London’s upmarket Mayfair, had begun the process of insolvency and liquidation. Both the pandemic and issues surrounding the UK exiting the EU were given as reasons for the closure. The original StreetXO remains open in Madrid, having moved to the department store El Corte Inglés in 2022.

Rapper Ludacris has had more success than many celebs when it comes to cracking his way into the restaurant industry. Asian fusion restaurant Straits opened in Atlanta's Midtown in 2008 and was well received from the start. The musician partnered with respected, Singapore-raised chef Chris Yeo, who breathed his influence into the Pan-Asian menu. Diners could expect dishes such as tamarind beef, fried rice with plump shrimp and chilli lobster.

Despite Straits' success, Ludacris had his sights set higher. In 2012, the rapper won a contract to open a new restaurant concept inside Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (pictured). Keen to focus on his new project, Ludacris shut down his original restaurant, though he did dub it a 'great segue into the industry'. Chicken + Beer restaurant, which shares its name with Ludacris' third album, opened in the airport in 2016 and is still going strong.

Irving Mill opened to much fanfare in New York City's Union Square in 2007. The New American spot had backing from Hollywood stars Jill Hennessy (right) and Benjamin Bratt (left) and it got off to a pretty good start. Reviewers lauded the brilliant burger and the great selection of beer. 

But despite decent reviews, Irving Mill didn't stand the test of time. The restaurant closed after two years and was soon replaced by a branch of the down-to-earth Brother Jimmy's BBQ chain. Today, the location is home to The Stand (pictured), which has a comedy club in the basement and a restaurant upstairs.

If the restaurant business is tough, the vegan restaurant business is even tougher. It has proven to be difficult for vegan eateries to get off the ground, something that American actor Kevin Hart discovered when he started his small chain of fast food restaurants, Hart House. Beginning operations in 2022, Hart House expanded to four locations in the Los Angeles area, serving plant-based burgers, nuggets, fries and other popular fast food. Despite positive reviews, the chain wouldn’t last long.

In September 2024, all Hart House locations were suddenly closed overnight. Many restaurants in the US continue to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as dealing with rising costs of supplies and other challenges. The brand’s Instagram thanked customers the day after the restaurants closed, with a message saying 'goodbye for now as we start a new chapter', suggesting that Hart House could be revived in some form.

Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria joined up with Morton's steakhouses (owned by parent company Landry's) to launch a new restaurant in Las Vegas in 2012. The concept was a sleek steakhouse specifically aimed at female diners, with 'He-Cuts' and 'She-Cuts' of meat, a 1920s theme and a catwalk for fashion shows.

SHe ran into trouble in 2014 when inspectors reportedly came across numerous health-code demerits, and the Southern Nevada Health District temporarily closed the venue. The demerits related to faulty thermometers and food being stored at incorrect temperatures. SHe reopened days later, but it closed for good that same year.

Supermodels Elle Macpherson (pictured), Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Christy Turlington all came together to front the Fashion Cafe in New York City in 1995. It was a sleek venue with leather booths, a pricy gift shop and a red carpet at the entrance, and it served diner-style dishes such as burgers and platters. After some initial success, the Fashion Café expanded into several other cities including Barcelona, London and Mexico City. But this fortune was short-lived.

Once the Fashion Cafe's novelty wore off, customer numbers began to dwindle and one by one, the venues began to fold. The brand was also steeped in scandal as the corporate brains behind the restaurant, brothers Francesco and Tommaso Buti, were charged with fraud and money laundering. The restaurants may be dead, but the brand lives on in the form of its merchandise – the cropped T-shirts are in high demand thanks to a 1990s fashion revival.

This restaurant, spearheaded by sibling actors Stephen and William 'Billy' Baldwin, opened in New York's Manhattan in 1999. Its first iteration was as Mediterranean spot Alaia. It failed to take off, though, so another restaurant was opened in the same location with a new name and concept: Luahn, a chic, sea-themed lounge.

As Luahn also failed to make waves – despite an article in The New York Times newspaper saying it 'has the feeling of a hot-and-getting-hotter scene'. The restaurant's name was changed once more, to Society 5, in the early 2000s, but by then the brothers had moved on. They cut ties with the venue, and it closed for good shortly afterwards.

The work of flamboyant pro wrestler Hulk 'Hulkster' Hogan, Pastamania opened its doors in 1995 in Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota. Just like its visionary, it was loud, proud and brash, and Hogan and his team went hard on marketing it to his then legions of fans. The mammoth opening event included a raucous pasta-eating challenge and pasta shapes modelled on Hulk himself. 

Once in full swing, the venue boasted delights such as Hulk's Power Pasta: penne with chicken, vegetables and a choice of sauce. Marketing was zealous, but the pasta dishes failed to entice diners in the long term. Less than a year after they opened, the restaurant's doors were closed for good. For reasons unknown, the awning ended up on a building in Minneapolis (pictured).

The relationship between Flav and Cimino eventually turned sour. Flav publicly criticised Cimino for apparent cash flow issues and poor levels of food safety at the venue and Cimino retaliated by calling Flav a fraud. The restaurant closed less than four months after opening. In 2024, Flav again got involved in the restaurant industry in a slightly different way. He put his support behind Red Lobster when the chain struggled financially, leading the restaurants to launch an off-menu Flavor Flav’s Faves meal.

Canadian rapper and sometimes actor Drake (real name Aubrey Drake Graham) has had a few forays into the food and drink business. These include the creation of a whiskey, collaborating on a range of Champagne and purchasing a stake in the fast food chain Dave’s Hot Chicken. He also endorsed a Toronto restaurant called Fring’s, which he apparently named, and opened his own restaurant, Pick 6ix Sports, with Nessel Beezer (his head of security), the Sabah Nissan Group, and Montreal chef Antonio Park.

The restaurant received mixed reviews and then experienced bad press after a major crime occurred on its doorstep. Pick 6ix Sports closed due to a flood in August 2018, reopening as a sports bar. It then closed again in late 2019, officially due to more flooding, but according to other sources, it was actually because of unpaid rent – although this was denied by the venue’s operations manager. The spot was set to reopen in March 2020, but never did.

Pop singer Britney Spears has had plenty of hits over the years, but sadly her New York City restaurant wasn't one of them. Nyla, a swanky venue housed in Manhattan's posh Dylan Hotel, opened in summer 2002. In its first few months there was plenty of hype surrounding the restaurant, which served Cajun food.

Eventually Nyla's management made the switch to Italian cuisine in the hope of drumming up more business. Not all of Nyla's reviews were glowing and there were also accusations of failed payments brought against the venue by suppliers. Spears cut all ties with the restaurant and it closed at the end of 2002, less than a year after its opening date.

The concept for Lemon Basket was born on VH1 reality show Famous Food, in which celebrities put their restaurateur skills to the test. Contestants included eventual winners Danielle Staub (right), star of TV's The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and Three 6 Mafia rapper DJ Paul (left). The resulting restaurant was a ritzy modern American venue in West Hollywood, serving mac ’n’ cheese, short ribs and burgers.

Although Lemon Basket had a grand opening, it never really got off the ground, with customers complaining of overpriced food, small portions and slow service. By October 2011, just five months after its initial launch, Lemon Basket was closed for good.

Now discover who the world’s wealthiest chefs are today

Last updated by Lottie Woodrow.