After months of buzz, the Hard Rock Cafe debuted on July 19 in the Hollywood & Highland Center, just a few steps from the Grauman’s Chinese and Kodak theaters. The 20,000-square-foot venue has a capacity of 906 guests and is Hard Rock's second location in Hollywood. The space was designed and constructed to meet Silver LEED certification standards. A private room seats 40, and top-end audiovisual systems are in place for events. Catering, entertainment, and event merchandise can be customized. The whole cafe is convertible into a live music space at full capacity.
The design of the venue is meant to incorporate the city's heritage with the Hard Rock brand. The venue opens up beyond a narrow entry passage. The stage on the main floor allows for live music and shows, and there is an open display kitchen, opposite which stands an elevated bar. Memorabilia includes a Fergie tour outfit, a 1965 letter from Janis Joplin to boyfriend Peter LeBlanc, Jamie Foxx's tuxedo from the film Ray, and Jim Morrison's pants. Rock Shops offer rock 'n' roll-inspired items and collectibles.
The new venue has an array of high-tech, interactive activities for guests. The multi-touch, multimedia technology of Hard Rock Interactive enables fans to explore the memorabilia collection, virtually touring each of the company’s 166 venues around the world. The Rock Wall is an 18- by 4-foot interactive touch wall that highlights Hard Rock’s memorabilia collection on what it bills as the highest resolution seamless touch wall in the world. Guests can access and expand a single image or video to be as large as the wall itself, or as many as six guests can explore their own collections in different zones simultaneously.
Menu items include a selection of the brand's 10-ounce certified Angus beef burgers. The venue uses Hickory wood chips to slowly cook its ribs, chicken, and pork; Hard Rock’s barbecue roots are inspired by its founder’s hometown of Memphis. A variety of pizzas are also on offer. And an extensive cocktail menu includes hurricanes, margaritas, classics, and signature concoctions, all available in Hard Rock Cafe souvenir collectible glassware.
