Kid Rock's Nashville honky-tonk will have to operate booze free ... after having its beer license suspended for violating COVID-19 safety guidelines.
The Metropolitan Beer Permit Board -- yeah, it's a thing in Nashville -- gave Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk & Steakhouse a 5-day beer permit suspension after it, along with 3 other downtown joints, were caught serving patrons at the bar area last weekend.
According to local health guidelines, beer and other alcohol can only be served at tables and booths ... bar areas must remain closed until Nashville enters the next phase of its reopening.
In response to all of this, restaurateur Steve Smith -- who co-owns the joint -- told The Tennessean newspaper, "The Nashville government is, like, communist. They've got us behind a Berlin Wall." He went on to say, "We met with Mayor Cooper and the doctors weeks ago and explained how having bar service is safer than table service. They're doing everything they can to put us out of business. The state of Tennessee is already in Phase 4 and they're talking about holding us in Phase 2. It's against our constitutional rights."
For what it's worth, Kid Rock's bar/restaurant was among 12 recently cited for violating public health orders by exceeding maximum capacity.
A man in New York City launched into an epic tirade when he spotted a Black Lives Matter sign at a coffee shop, and his meltdown -- captured on video -- pissed off every other customer.
The guy absolutely berated the barista over the Black Lives Matter sign posted in the front window of Burly Coffee in Brooklyn. The dude also had a major problem with being asked to wear a mask in order to get a cup of Joe.
The standoff went down Thursday morning with the irate customer telling the shop to take down the BLM signage, and the barista firing back he needed to take a hike.
At one point, the man points at the sign and says, "This is the most racist thing out there. I'm not a racist ... this is offensive and I want you to take off this sign."
The poor barista even tried taking the guy to school ... explaining #BLM does not mean all lives don't matter. Then other customers started chiming in, begging the guy to stop causing a disturbance.
The guy refused to leave and argued for more than 10 minutes, before starting to chant "All lives matter." He also claims the pandemic is a hoax, and only sheep wear masks -- aka, the conservative greatest hits.
Taco Bell might have a supreme problem on its hands ... after firing one of its longtime employees for wearing a Black Lives Matter face covering.
Denzel Skinner was fired after 8 years on the job as a shift leader at a Taco Bell in Youngstown, Ohio after he refused to take off his BLM face covering.
He was told by a supervisor he couldn't wear the face cover but he was adamant Taco Bell's policy says nothing about face covers with messages on them. The one stipulation -- face coverings had to be clean. Skinner explained in a Facebook Live video that he wore the face cover because the surgical masks provided by the joint to employees proved inadequate in warm conditions.
Skinner explained the Taco Bell's air conditioning had not been working ... keeping things hot inside. He said it was extremely difficult to breathe while wearing the surgical mask.
When he walked out, Skinner says a manager told him if he walked out he'd get canned. And, he did. As for why he wore a BLM face covering, Skinner said it was in support of protesting police brutality following George Floyd's murder. He said it was important to speak up.
Taco Bell honchos said in a statement that due to mask shortages, employees are allowed to use their own mask or face covering. The joint said it was "disappointed to learn what took place in Youngstown. We are working with our franchisee that operates this location to understand what happened."
They continue, "While our policies at restaurants do not prohibit Team Members from wearing Black Lives Matter masks, we are working to clarify our mask policy so this doesn’t happen again."
The Bell says they've apologized to Denzel, and also made it clear ... “We believe Black Lives Matter."
6:27 AM PT -- 6/18 -- Cream of Wheat is now considering changing its logo as well, a company spokesperson tells TMZ, "B&G Foods, Inc. today announced that we are initiating an immediate review of the Cream of Wheat brand packaging."
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They continue, "We understand there are concerns regarding the Chef image, and we are committed to evaluating our packaging and will proactively take steps to ensure that we and our brands do not inadvertently contribute to systemic racism. B&G Foods unequivocally stands against prejudice and injustice of any kind."
Aunt Jemima syrup is no more -- 'cause the parent company is retiring the image and name after more than a century, while publicly copping to the fact she's a giant stereotype.
The Quaker Oats Company made the announcement Tuesday, saying they were doing away with Auntie. The company explains, "As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers' expectations."
Aunt Jemima's been a thing for more than 130 years now, and its origins are deeply racist. The character is based on an 1800s "mammy" -- a black servant in a white household.
Specifically, Aunt Jemima is meant to portray a real-life woman named Nancy Green, who Quaker had previously described as a "storyteller, cook and missionary worker" ... but failing to mention she was born into slavery.
There's even more controversy surrounding the brand that's been swept under the rug over the years -- like the name Jemima coming from a minstrel-era song, "Old Aunt Jemima."
For the longest time, the Aunt Jemima brand featured a black woman with a headscarf -- but in the '80s ... Quaker switched up her look to appear more modern, decking her out in earrings and pearls.
In the wake of the civil unrest overtaking the country right now, tons of people were calling for Aunt Jemima to be shelved or re-branded. NBC News was first to report her demise.
BTW, folks are now calling for a handful of other brands to be changed ASAP because of the same issue -- among them are Uncle Ben's Rice and Cream of Wheat. It appears Uncle Ben's has gotten the message.
A rep for the brand said Wednesday, "As we listen to the voices of consumers, especially in the Black community, and to the voices of our Associates worldwide, we recognize that one way we can do this is by evolving the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity.”
It's unclear what the evolution of the brand will look like ... but the rep told HuffPost that all possibilities were on the table.
2 Chainz's got more drama over his ATL joint, and this time it's beef with the keepers of Pablo Escobar's name ... who are suing the rapper over the restaurant's name.
Pablo Escobar's family company, Escobar Inc., is suing 2 Chainz for at least $10 million ... claiming his Escobar Restaurant and Tapas -- there are 2 of 'em in Atlanta -- violates federal law with its unauthorized commercial use of the Escobar name and likeness.
According to docs, obtained by TMZ, the company's pissed 2 Chainz slapped the family name across his famous ATL restaurants, their websites and social media -- not to mention the clothing sold with the restaurant name.
The company says it owns the trademark to Escobar's likeness and 2 Chainz is using the name to generate traffic and sales. The company says, for example, 2 Chainz has Escobar's likeness painted inside one of his joints. They also point to the menu featuring "Escobar Crab Cakes."
Escobar Inc. wants the 8-figure damages, minimum, plus an injunction blocking use of the name and likeness at the restaurants.
As we've reported, 2 Chainz's ATL joints have had plenty of unrelated drama recently, stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
We've reached out to 2 Chainz for comment, so far, no word back.
A police officer canceled her McDonald's drive-thru order ... because she feared employees were messing with her food -- so she gave a tearful plea to cut cops some slack ... and show some appreciation.
The officer explains in her selfie vid she just got off a long shift and is very hungry, and all she wants is her McMuffin meal with a coffee ... but it's taking a while ... and she seems to suspect something fishy's going on.
She gives the play-by-play of her order delay, and after finally getting her coffee but still no food, she says she tells the Mickey D's employee to keep it ... because she's too nervous now to eat it.
The cop then breaks down, saying she's never been this anxious in 15 years on the job to pick up a to-go order she can't see being made. She adds ... "I don't know what's going on with people nowadays," and pleads for everyone to give cops a break.
Not just a break ... but also to tell them thank you, because she's not hearing that enough lately.
Of course, this officer's meltdown comes on the heels of 3 NYPD officers who feared they were poisoned by shakes from Shake Shack ... but an investigation proved that wasn't the case.
A trio of cops getting a bad taste in their mouths after downing Shake Shack milkshakes nearly became a flashpoint in the nationwide tensions between police and their communities ... but cooler heads are prevailing.
The burger joint was trending overnight because the 3 NYPD officers were hospitalized after complaining about a funny taste in the shakes they ordered at a lower Manhattan Shake Shack. They reportedly described the taste as bleach, and feared they'd been poisoned.
#BREAKING When NYC police officers cannot even take meal without coming under attack, it is clear that environment in which we work has deteriorated to a critical level. We cannot afford to let our guard down for even a moment. pic.twitter.com/fbMMDOKqbV
A letter was sent to members of different police unions making them aware of the sitch. In a since-deleted tweet, the NYC Detectives' Endowment Association straight-up said their boys in blue were "intentionally" poisoned.
The insinuation was cops can't even go for a shake now without being attacked by rogue citizens. Mind you, there was no evidence of that, but take it as a sign of how tense things are these days.
Welp ... an investigation was immediately launched overnight, and NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison said Tuesday it was all much ado about nothing.
After a thorough investigation by the NYPD’s Manhattan South investigators, it has been determined that there was no criminality by shake shack’s employees.
Harrison says, "After a thorough investigation by the NYPD’s Manhattan South investigators, it has been determined that there was no criminality by Shake Shack’s employees."
As for what exactly happened to the malts remains a mystery. The NY Post reports it appears to be a cleaning solution commonly used that wasn't rinsed off the machine enough.
The good news is all 3 cops were released from the hospital and are expected to make a full recovery -- and Shake Shack said it's committed to getting the full picture out.
COVID-19 can't stop one of America's biggest 4th of July traditions from happening ... 'cause the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest WILL go down this year ... but with some major changes.
TMZ Sports has learned ... the event is set to take place at a private location without fans in 2020 ... and will feature 1/3 of the competitors to ensure social distancing.
The hot dog eating contest usually draws thousands of fans at Surf and Stillwell Avenues on Coney Island each year ... but given the global pandemic, it's all gonna be behind closed doors.
We're told all staffers will be wearing masks and gloves, and all eaters will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the showdown ... and the location will be sanitized to the max.
As we previously reported, 12-time champ Joey Chestnut said back in April he was preparing for the event as if it were happening ... so he'll be ready to try to smash his record of 74 franks in 10 minutes.
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To make things even sweeter, Major League Eating -- the organization behind the event -- and the eaters are making donations to local food banks and will honor essential workers in NYC for their service.
Anyone else hungry for some tube steaks all of a sudden?
The Wendy's in Atlanta -- where a man who fell asleep in his car and essentially received a death sentence by cops -- has been burned down, during a night of protest and civil disturbance.
A video posted on Twitter shows the beginnings of the blaze ... you hear the man shooting the video say, "Look at this white girl. Look at the white girl trying to burn down the Wendy's. This wasn't us."
The fast-food restaurant became a flashpoint Saturday for protests against police brutality and racism.
As TMZ reported all day Saturday, cops got a call that someone in line was sleeping and partially blocking the drive-thru. Cops arrived, and the situation escalated to where Brooks grabbed one of the officer's tasers and began running. As he ran, he appeared to vaguely point the NON-LETHAL weapon behind him, and that's when Brooks was shot 3 times.
Fire at Wendy's on University Ave in southwest Atlanta raging. A night to remember in Atlanta: Rayshard Brooks shot by an officer, the chief of Atlanta police resigned, and protesters stormed the interstate. Now, fire. #AtlantaShooting#AtlantaProtestpic.twitter.com/Fgjq7jhDiZ
The cop involved in the shooting was fired overnight, and the other cop assisting was put on administrative leave. This, as the Police Chief submitted her resignation.
A little perspective ... so in Minneapolis, a call over what at worst was passing a counterfeit bill turned to a brutal murder. And in Atlanta, sleeping in the car ended with death. And, check out the video of a violent confrontation that started with a call that someone might have been smoking weed in a car.
Cities and counties can ban all sorts of police techniques, but until there is a cultural shift, built from the ground up in these departments, where de-escalation becomes the guiding light, this insane violence will continue.
Jason Derulois feeling accomplished -- and full -- after eating 20 burgers in 2 hours ... and now he's challenging The Rock to a hot dog eating showdown on the Fourth of July!!!
The "Cats" star and "Swalla" singer just set the stage for what could be the biggest celebrity culinary face-off of all time ... calling out The Rock and prematurely declaring victory if they go dog-for-dog on Independence Day.
Jason's fresh off a pretty impressive start ... he challenged himself to eat 22 burgers in 2 hours to celebrate reaching 22 million followers on TikTok -- yes, this is what goes down on the app.
While Jason came up a little short on his burger binge -- eating 20 burgers instead of the full plate of 22 -- he says it made him realize he could be a pretty darn good competitive eater.
Jason's got his work cut out for him -- The Rock is known for his epic cheat meals when he's not getting shredded in the gym -- but he says one of his hidden talents is his massive appetite. Gotta feed that anaconda!!!
2:30 PM PT -- The GBI just released the surveillance video. Unfortunately, the initial attempt to arrest Rayshard and the scuffle happened just off-camera, on the left side of the screen.
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However, the video clearly shows Rayshard start to run away from the officers. He does seem to hold up a yellow object, presumably the stolen taser, and point it at the cop closest to him. It appears that's when the other officer, further away, opened fire on Rayshard.
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In another development, ATL Mayor Bottoms just announced the police chief has handed in her resignation -- amid demands by the GA NAACP -- and the Mayor also is demanding the immediate firing of the officer who fired the 3 shots.
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1:14 PM PT -- The head of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation just said his dept. will release the Wendy's surveillance video later Saturday. He acknowledges Brooks was shot while fleeing the officers with taser in hand. The G.B.I. official did not initially say Brooks had his back to the cops, but eventually conceded that, though he did say the surveillance video shows Brooks extended his arm holding the taser behind him, somehow pointed toward the cops. The case will be presented to the D.A., but already the head of Georgia's NAACP is demanding the resignation of the police chief. Remember, this started as a call about Brooks sleeping in his car -- THE OPPOSITE OF A VIOLENT OFFENSE. And presumably, the 2 cops knew the weapon in Brooks' hand was a non-lethal taser. Yet he was shot -- possibly 3 times -- and killed.
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A 27-year-old African-American man was shot in the back and killed by Atlanta police Friday night, after someone complained he was sleeping in his car at a Wendy's drive-thru.
TMZ obtained video of what went down around 10:30 PM ... cops got a call that the car in which the man was sleeping was blocking other cars in line. The other customers could still pick up their food ... they just had to go around him to the window.
According to the police report, 2 officers tried placing Rayshard Brooks under arrest -- after they say he failed field sobriety testing. In the video, you can see the officers wrestling with Rayshard on the ground for nearly 30 seconds.
@Oskaer__13/Twitter
When Rayshard stood up, cops say he had taken a taser from one of the officers -- the other cop opened fire with his taser, and Rayshard started running away. Both cops started chasing him from behind ... and within seconds 3 shots were fired at Rayhsard.
He was taken to a hospital where he died during surgery.
Kai Northcott/Facebook
Additional details surrounding the shooting are unclear. The GBI said one of the APD officers suffered minor injuries ... he was treated at the hospital and released.
Several bystanders witnessed the incident and were enraged and yelled at the cops moments after the shooting.
This is reportedly the 48th officer-involved shooting the GBI has investigated this year.
Starbucks is now saying "my bad," and will allow employees to wear Black Lives Matter attire ... after getting intense backlash for banning it.
The coffee store giant announced Friday morning it's reversing its policy prohibiting workers from wearing anything highlighting the Black Lives Matter movement. And, to take things a step further ... Starbucks will distribute 250k BLM themed t-shirts to its employees.
The move comes just days after Starbucks said it feared employees wearing BLM attire could be misunderstood by customers and incite violence. But, after customers called for a boycott, Starbucks is now saying it hears their employees and supports them standing up for justice.
Starbucks announced, "Together with our Black Partner Network, we've designed a Starbucks t-shirt for every U.S. and Canada partner to express our solidarity during this historic time. Until these arrive, we’ve heard you want to show your support, so just be you. Wear your BLM pin or t-shirt. We are so proud of your passionate support of our common humanity."
It should be noted ... Starbucks hands out pins and special attire to celebrate LGBTQ rights and marriage equality even though there's a policy in place against wearing personal, political or religious attire.
It's not the first time Starbucks has been schooled on racial equality. You'll recall back in 2018 the coffee chain closed its stores for anti-bias training after 2 African-American men got hauled off to jail for hanging out and waiting for a friend inside a Starbucks in Philly.
The incident created an uproar and triggered protests.
Ever wanted to stuff your face with a burger filled with cotton candy and Cracker Jacks!?!?
Us neither ... but a South Carolina minor league baseball team is giving you the opportunity to do it anyway -- and it looks as gross as it sounds!!!
(COUNTERPOINT: The person editing this post -- a proud junk food-aholic -- disagrees and thinks the burger looks BOMB AS HELL!! Put it in my faaaaaaace!!!!!).
Here's the deal ... the Charleston RiverDogs have been doing some awesome things during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering food for their community while also providing meals for the needy.
This week, in an effort to spice up their takeout menu at the ballpark ... they concocted a hamburger nobody was asking for -- and they seem proud as hell of it.
The burger features a bun, special sauce, an Angus beef patty, a rich slathering of cotton candy ... and it's all topped off with some flavored Cracker Jacks.
Yeah, ew.
(COUNTERPOINT: Inject this straight into my veins!!!!!)
If that somehow intrigues you ... the team says it'll only cost ya $12.99 -- and hey, it even comes with truffle fries!!!
We'll pass on that one ... but if you don't -- get the dentist appointment ready STAT!!!
(COUNTERPOINT: A cavity is a small price to pay to taste MANNA FROM HEAVEN).
Kylie and Caitlyn Jenner got all gussied up to grab a meal together ... and it looks like they made it a table for 4.
Kylie and her friend, Harry Hudson, were joined by Caitlyn and her friend, Sophia Hutchins ... and the ladies all looked super fashionable Wednesday night as they were spotted leaving Nobu Malibu.
The chic yellow duster really made Kylie stand out, while Caitlyn's dress was also a bold choice ... with some 'Tiger King' vibes.
It's been a while since we've seen Kylie hanging with her dad, but it didn't take long for them to meet up after California lifted its stay-at-home restrictions and restaurants have opened back up.
While dinner with her youngest daughter is notable, it would be a much bigger deal if Caitlyn and Khloe were out together. You'll recall ... they don't see too much of each other these days.
The real question here though is who paid for dinner -- the parent ... or the nearly-Forbes billionaire child? Our money's still on Dad.
2:42 PM PT -- Faith Stowers -- the former black cast member on 'Vanderpump Rules,' who set into motion the mass firings handed down by Bravo this week -- tells us while she's glad Lisa spoke up on the issue of racism ... there's another person in the 'VR' world she has even more respect for.
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First off, Faith tells us that even though Bravo did the right thing by firing Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni ... she notes nobody from the network hit her up personally to get more details about her story, which sorta kicked this whole thing off.
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That's pretty telling in and of itself -- but moving on ... Faith goes on to say she gives Lisa props for speaking out on the problem among her staff so eloquently, even though she didn't mention Faith by name.
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Someone who did remember to reach out to Faith ... one Lala Kent, whom Faith says made the big gesture despite some bad blood between them in the past. Watch -- sounds like it's all water under a bridge now.
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12:27 PM PT -- Lisa Vanderpump is giving her two cents on the 4 cast members from her show that were given the boot over past racist remarks and behavior, and her message is ... our company is better than that, lemme show ya.
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The restaurateur and TV personality released a statement over the goings-on at Bravo these past couple days -- including the firing of Stassi Shroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni -- and she reflects disappointment, but also hopes for better.
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Lisa says, "As we’ve seen such devastating sadness that has played out globally, we all have a part to play to create a kinder, more just society. My hope is for this generation to treat each other with respect and humanity, and realize that actions have; and should have, consequences." She prefaced that by saying she couldn't have spoken more on this issue until final decisions were made, which they obviously were on Tuesday.
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She adds, "I love and adore our employees and I am deeply saddened by some of the lack of judgment that has been displayed. As many of you know, after watching me for 10 years, I have always been an equal rights activist and ally - my family, my businesses and I condemn all forms of cruelty, racism, homophobia, bigotry and unequal treatment. We’ve never tolerated it in the workplace or our lives." She also says the show only shows off a small fraction of her workforce, which she says is way more diverse ... and something she plans to show off in future seasons.
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Lisa ends by saying, "The world needs to move forward with a kinder generation. Everybody deserves to feel safe, heard and appreciated in their communities."
Lisa Vanderpump's signature L.A. eatery is boarded up and now covered in spray painting that seems perfectly timed ... now that Bravo's fired 4 "Vanderpump Rules" cast members over racist behavior.
Check out these photos of Lisa's PUMP restaurant in West Hollywood -- where a lot of her fellow cast members work and mingle on her reality show. As you can see, it's been heavily tagged with Black Lives Matter.
It's some of the best-timed graffiti ... considering Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni were just canned by Bravo this week over resurfaced comments and acts that reeked of racism.
It appears the tagging, and boarding up, happened before the news came down Tuesday about the 4 cast members getting fired. BLM graffiti's been popping up all over L.A. during the George Floyd protests.
Of course, LV did NOT fire Max or Brett after learning of their old, bad tweets -- some of which used the n-word multiple times. During last week's reunion show, she basically forgave them, saying everyone's made mistakes ... and that if she fired everyone who'd screwed up, no one would be working.
A few days later, Bravo stepped in and yanked the 4 cast members, anyway.
Kendall Jennerand Devin Bookerare still going strong -- hitting up the most expensive sushi spot in town Monday ... just weeks before Devin has to get back to work!
The two rolled through Nobu in Malibu and left in the same SUV -- roughly one month after they were spotted on a road trip together in Arizona.
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They both looked really good. In fact, Kendall walked out of the restaurant like she was strutting down a fashion runway.
But, here's the twist ... with the NBA announcing its plan to resume the 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida starting on July 31, it seems they'll have a forced separation.
Devin's Phoenix Suns will be included in the NBA's 22-team plan -- in which players and staff will essentially live in a bubble environment as they play out the rest of the season and playoffs.
Teams are expected to arrive in mid-July.
Only essential people will be allowed in the bubble -- players, staff, coaches and family members. Everyone will be required to undergo thorough COVID-19 testing.
Since Kendall isn't family, it's likely she won't be allowed inside ... and if the Suns catch fire, they could be in the bubble until mid-October!
The good news for Kendall ... there's a very low chance they'll even make the playoff portion of the bubble much less the Finals.
As we previously reported, Kendall and Devin began hanging out at the beginning of the quarantine ... and Kendall has since shot down the notion they're just friends.
