MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – KISS, the rock group known for putting its brand on everything from action figures and bobble heads to lunch boxes, now is marketing French KISS Vanilla, Demon Dark Roast and Rockuccino at the first KISS Coffeehouse.
Bandmates Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, sans the trademark makeup, greeted a crowd of hundreds Tuesday to mark the opening of their coffeehouse in this beach town.
"You can live to rock, but you have to eat to live," Stanley told the crowd.
Some fans drove from as far away as Colorado and Oregon. One came all the way from Poland.
"I can't believe I just met them," said Adrian Czarnbey, who introduced the band at a news conference. "It's just like seeing Jesus for me."
Fans were in line as early as 8:30 a.m. for the grand opening party nearly 12 hours later. The coffeehouse poured its first cup of Rockuccino on Saturday.
Stanley said Myrtle Beach was the best place to launch the enterprise.
"Myrtle Beach is ground zero ... We're bringing coffee to a whole 'nother generation," he said.
The two band members drove up in a stretch limousine then shook hands with fans as they made their way to a news conference and receiving line.
Simmons, known for sticking out his tongue while performing, declined to do so on Tuesday. "I would, but I noticed the floor's kinda dirty," he said.
Randy Truss of North Myrtle Beach got to walk through the coffeehouse with the stars inside.
"This seems like it is out of the norm for KISS, but coffee reaches everybody," he said.
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