Kid Rock’s Bar Challenged Nashville Mayor’s Order To Close Bars As ‘Unconstitutional’ And Was Going To Defy It BUT…

Kid Rock is not the kind of guy who does as he’s told. Especially when the person telling him what to do lacks the authority to do so.

He’s his own man. You know, kind of like the Founding Fathers.

It seems like the business partner in his bar shares his contrarian instincts. When it came out that government officials were responding to the virus scare by mandating that bars and restaurants close their doors, a public statement was released.

JUST IN: Several bars on Lower Broadway, including popular Tootsies, Honky Tonk Central, Kid Rock’s bar, will remain OPEN after Nashville mayor asked them to close over #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/LfGJ1ZfzoU

— FoxNashville (@FOXNashville) March 15, 2020

But the heavy hand of authoritarian government officials was not the only consideration in a case like this.

It’s the public, not the government, whose favor and goodwill a business needs to foster. And in this instance, the public sentiment was apparently in favor of closing for a brief period, until the situation has been properly grappled with, and the worst of the scare is over.

THAT is a voice far more difficult for even contrarian middle-finger-to-authority businessmen to ignore.

Looks like Steve Smith’s had a change of heart in about 24 hours time — the restaurateur has reportedly caved to public pressure and is now saying he will, in fact, be closing up all his bars and restaurants, including Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk & Steakhouse. —TMZ

If nothing else, they drew a line in the sand showing their obligation was to the public demand and not merely the FIAT of some government official claiming authority he doesn’t truly have and making up the rules as he goes along.