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Posted on 05/15/2025 7:07:07 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
Downtown kitchens shuttered over the weekend to avoid immigration agents in at least three locations owned by conservative restaurateur Steve Smith.
Smith, the wealthy owner of Broadway establishments including Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and Rippy’s, has been a public conservative presence in Nashville, notably mounting local opposition to COVID-related restrictions on public gatherings. He's also a Trump supporter and donor. Recent panic at his restaurants indicates that his own Broadway empire — and the wealth it has generated — relies directly on employing immigrants not authorized to work in the United States.
At the instruction of managers, restaurant employees without legal citizenship status left the premises at The Diner, Honky Tonk Central and Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse during a primetime rush on Saturday night to avoid detention by ICE agents. Locations, already struggling to provide full service, suffered through at least Sunday due to fears from employees who did not want to risk arrest by returning to work.
“We were already understaffed because of the ICE raids throughout the weekend,” an employee, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation, tells the Scene. "Then, around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, our manager came back and told anyone without legal status to go home. Events at the Ryman, Ascend, the Savannah Bananas’ baseball game all let out, and it was crazy busy. But there was no one in the kitchen to cook the food.”
Employees do not know if Smith, who could not be reached for comment, was directly consulted. In recent days, many restaurant employees have chosen to call out and stay home with family rather than risk detention in transit. This has prompted managers throughout the city to coordinate transportation for immigrant employees, including at Smith’s downtown locations.
State troopers and unmarked ICE vehicles dramatically increased nightly traffic stops on May 3 in South Nashville, where the joint operation has resulted in at least 196 arrests by ICE agents. These arrests included 101 individuals with no criminal history, contradicting Trump administration claims that immigration enforcement has been targeted toward violent criminals. Less than half had any recorded criminal history at all; a DHS press release confirmed that four had previously been involved in violent crime.
Trump and former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, his pick to lead DHS, have publicly praised hurried deportations that include legal residents and appear politically targeted.
The joint operations have drawn pushback from community groups, the mayor, Metro councilmembers and Nashville’s immigrants, who have continued to rally and organize against ICE. Lead Metro attorney Wally Dietz recently told reporters that the city is "powerless" to stop immigration enforcement activity by the state and federal governments.
A message to management at The Diner was not immediately returned.
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“Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse”
We are closer to Idiocracy than I thought.
So investigate this business for illegally hiring illegal alien invaders...and messing with paying taxes, SS and so forth. That will give a message to those businesses that support these creeps. The businesses that do this deserve a “slap in the face”.
He’s no conservative, then.
These news stories: Am I supposed to be sad for the owner because he’s breaking the law?
If your business model relies on breaking the law you should reconsider that model.
Why are businesses also not pursued and fined for employing illegals?
A (Mexican) restaurant owner in our area was caught 10 years ago employing about 12 illegals. He was required to pay the taxes on their work income and promise not to do it again.
That’s it.
Now he owns 4 restaurants in our area.
Exactly.
At all.
IIRC: THE FINE FOR HIRING ILLEGALS IS $5000 PER DAY PER EMPLOYEE.
5 DAYS WORK WEEK==$25,000 A WEEK
START WITH THOSE FINES-—WORK YOUR WAY UP...
“Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk Rock N’ Roll Steakhouse”
Out of pure curiosity I had to take a look,
https://www.kidrockshonkytonkandsteakhouse.com/menu
Pretty run of the mill chain menu. Very safe and boring.
Wings, nachos, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and 5 steak cuts.
Nothing bigg ass, honky tonk, or rock and roll about it.
"...relies directly on employing immigrants not authorized to work in the United States"Liberal Requirement #1: Never, EVER write or say "Illegal alien."
Bass turds putting illegal aliens ahead of Americans. Screw them. Americans need to boycott these joints.
So hire Anericans. Is that so terrible?
The burger on the front page looks absolutely horrible.
Who’s gonna cook our food? High schoolers on summer vacation. Instead of mom and dad paying for their summer vacation at the beach and all the booze they can drink. Send them to work.
Good. Now hire Americans!!
CHARGE THEM ALSO: AIDING/ABETTING/HARBORING
Nothing bigg ass, honky tonk, or rock and roll about it.
......
That might describe some employees and the atmosphere, though...
Sounds like he is a TSINO (Trump supporter in name only). Color me unimpressed or concerned about his problem.
In fact, I couldn't care less if his businesses close for good, if he is unable to find Americans to do the jobs to run his businesses, because there are Americans who are willing to do the work. He gets no pass because he claims to support Trump, but then goes against everything that Trump is doing.
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