By Sacha Delfosse
The iconic Hard Rock Café has returned to Sydney, following its closure in October 2007 as part of a plan by its previous GM to refresh the franchise locally.
The new 500-seat venue is located in Darling Harbour, above the franchise’s Rock Shop merchandise store that opened in December last year.
It features a wraparound balcony and outdoor terrace seating, as well as a live music area.
And of course, it is decorated with a large range of rare and collectible rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia, and offers guests a solid American style food menu.
In addition to the State-side cuisine, it also has an extensive drinks menu that includes Hurricanes, Margaritas, handcrafted signature cocktails and Alternative Rock (alcohol-free) beverages, all available in Hard Rock Cafe souvenir collectible glassware.
The new Sydney Hard Rock Café is owned and operated by Goddings Pty Ltd, the Australian franchisee who also operates the Surfers Paradise Hard Rock Café.
The company director is Lennie Huntly, who was the general manager of the previous Sydney Hard Rock Café.
The first Hard Rock Café opened in London in 1971 and has expanded to a total of 172 venues across 52 countries.
It includes 135 cafes and 15 hotels and casinos under the umbrella of Hard Rock International, which is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment.