Hard Rock employee here, I actually agree it's drifted from its original roots. BUT I would say for in order for the company to stay relevant it had to expand. Depending on which locations you go to (I work at the one in Hollywood,FL) there's much to see with an expansive collection of memorable like you mentioned, the guitar light shows, and oculus shows. Things you won't ever see anywhere else on this scale.
Yeah but people go to a restaurant to eat, not look at memorabilia. If the food were spectacular, the rest would all just be a finishing touch. But when the main appeal is just nostalgia, mediocre food quality and some bimbo server with an attitude, the place won't stay open long.
For my Birthday in September 2020 my wife and I went to the Original Hard Rock Cafe in Piccadilly London. Because of world events central London was like a ghost town and we had the restaurant to ourselves. We got chatting to the staff and ended up getting a personal tour in their museum located next door where they keep their most valuable memorabilia. Being that I was a low point as I recently lost my job. It was a very much needed up lift. I would recommend anyone who is a fan of classic rock to visit it.
My guess - without looking it up - is they all declined due to the food getting worse as the new owners looked to increase profits after the leveraged buyouts. amirite?
When I traveled more, I collected Hard Rock t-shirts and sweaters because they each had the name of the city where I bought them. I also loved several of the Hard Rock casinos.
When I was a kid the Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt was the epitome of cool for me. Now that I am an adult the last vestige of childhood is owning their t-shirts. I've traveled to a number of countries and usually don't have a desire to buy anything for myself -- except a shirt from their store if it's in the city I'm in. (But I haven't eaten there in at least a decade.)
I *LOVE* Hard Rock Cafe and I’m so glad you made a video exploring it’s history and success. My favorite aspect of HRC is the pin collecting - each location sells lapel pins with unique designs relating to the culture and history of the area (often tying into music as well). I’ve been collecting these for over a decade now, and I’ve got over 100 pins from 56 different cities across 28 states, 14 countries and 4 continents! Here’s some fun facts about the history of HRC (with a particular focus on the business): 1) both Morton and Tigrett are related to other famous nationwide theme restaurants. Morton’s father founded the famous Morton’s Steakhouse chain, while Tigrett founded House of Blues alongside Dan Aykroyd. 2) Although you mentioned how the NYC location was the first East of the Mississippi, Tigrett actually opened a location a year prior in his hometown Jackson, Tennessee. He joked that he did this so his mom could dine at his restaurant without flying to London. The location didn’t have much foot traffic and closed after six months. 3) Today’s company is split into roughly four segments: Hard Rock Cafes, Hard Rock Hotels, Hard Rock Casinos, and Hard Rock Lives. However, the company experimented with many other business ventures over the years. You mentioned their stadium deal in Miami Gardens, but they also have owned a night club in Niagara Falls, a Beach Club in Choktaw, Mississippi, a “Hard Rock Vault” in Orlando, a golf course in Punta Cana and a theme park in Myrtle Beach. Evidently these ventures failed for one reason or another. 4) As you mentioned, the future of the company lies in its Casino division. Over the past five years, the domestic focus has been on opening casinos in smallish towns (often partnering with nearby Native American Tribes). This includes Gary, IN; Kenosha, WI; Rockford, IL; Bristol, VA; & Bakersfield, CA. Unfortunately this focus has come at the expense of stand-alone Hard Rock Cafes in large, but not massive cities (especially those without major tourism). Over the past five years, locations have closed in Phoenix, Boston, Seattle, Memphis, Denver, Detroit, Dallas and Louisville. Thank you for making such a comprehensive and enjoyable video about Hard Rock Cafe!!!
Hardrock: "Sure, come by and give us your pitch for a rock & roll theme park!" Us: That wasn't our idea at all! Quick lots of work on napkins & the back of evelopes! If it worked that would be the park founding legend. Since it didn't it's a "cautionary tale" instead...
To be fair, a lot of people don’t even know about Hard Rock Park since it did only last one year. Still, I was hoping he would mention it! I love Myrtle Beach, and although I didn’t get the chance to go to the park, I wish it had stuck around. I understand why it failed, though.
Every time I travel with my dad, we’ve gone to a Hard Rock. I get the local burger and we walk away with some glassware. It’s one of my favorite traditions
Hard Rock Cafe always seemed to have much better food than the other themed restaurants like Planet Hollywood and Rainforest Cafe. That's probably why they're the most successful. I remember when the one that used to be at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles opened. It was a huge deal since it was the first in the USA. I did get to eat at that one a couple of times with my family. Saw a few concerts at the old Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas including Depeche Mode in a makeshift arena in the outside parking lot. The club inside the hotel was nice as well.
that's cool. i gave you guys a visit not too long ago and really enjoyed talking to and learning about the seminoles. so much that white people history books didn't teach me in school, you know?
I worked for one. It was run by the Cherokee Nation, which I am a member. It was rad. I mean absolutely rad. Two fully staffed cafeterias with different menus 24/7. Not for the guests. For the employees. Free hotel rooms if it's even raining hard. And a sign up sheet to work concerts. I've worked an Alan Jackson concert. Super cool.
In 2012, I had a layover in Orlando. So I went to the Hard Rock at Universal. I ended up getting a VIP Tour because I nailed a quiz about everything on the walls and ceiling. I had my picture taken with John Lennon's couch that he wrote about 80% of his songs on. That's Beatles and solo. One of my best days ever!
I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas a couple years after it opened. It was for an event there and the place was pretty nice, from the front desk to the expensive hotel rooms. When I was finished checking in, the guy at the front desk greeted me with “Welcome to The Hard Rock!” As he looked me straight in the eye. It made me feel kinda special for a minute, that I was at someplace special. And I think that has to be part of the company’s success. It’s not just a place to go, see a concert, eat or stay - it’s a destination where the ambience and employees make the customers feel a cut above. Even while you’re burning your credit card to a crisp, they make you feel good about it and yourself. Until you’re back out on the street. Then you’re just another schmoe. But, hey! You’ve just been to The Hard Rock! 😀😀😀💸💸💸💸💸
Went to the Hard Rock Casino Hotel in Las Vegas every year, from 1999 to 2010 & that center bar was iconic. The place was packed & celebrities were there all the time. I hope the new one is just as cool when it opens in 2027.
I spent a long weekend at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. From the restaurants, swimming pool, gaming, shopping, and room, it was first-rate luxury experience all around with excellent service. The music memorabilia was just insane too!
I remember hoopla when the first one came to LA! It was built in my neighborhood and you would often see celebrities going in or out. Around 1981, a mall was built around it and both are still there!
The original LA Hard Rock was at Beverly Center, it closed in 2006. Hard Rock LA is now located at Ovation Hollywood (formerly Hollywood and Highland) shopping center on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
I travel to NW Iowa for work, and tonight I’m staying at my usual hotel, right across the street from Hard Rock Cafe. Got my dinner and ready for my Wednesday night tradition!
I would recommend about making a video about the rank corporation. They were one of the biggest hospitality and entertainment companies from the UK which fell from grace massively. They went from making movies and owning holiday camps like Butlins and Haven to owning casinos and bingo halls.
The original restaurant in Vegas made an incredible spinach, club wrap. Roasted turkey, carved ham, and roast beef with leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado in a spinach tortilla. Sadly on on the menu, 2 years.
The way I see it, Hard Rock built a global brand that resonates with music lovers and foodies alike, creating a unique, immersive experience that keeps fans coming back for more.
The only Hard Rock Cafe my wife and I visited that didn't result in an argument was in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (New York City, nope; Nashville, TN, nope.) In New York City, the food was alright, albeit overpriced (even for the mid-90s). I don't think we ate at the Nashville location; however, I did buy a varsity jacket - pink leather sleeves and gray wool body - that started our second argument (she wound up wearing it more than I did and received several compliments about it). Pigeon Forge was just us sitting at the bar, waiting for the grandkids to finish at the upside-down haunted house next door, argument-free and laughing at the irony.
I live next to the Guitar Hotel in Hollywood, Florida and it's crazy to me that they chose to build one of the coolest looking buildings in an area with no other hotels or skyscrapers.
I live in Hollywood, FL. I as a kid, remember going to the Hard Rock for the concerts and the restaurant. I loved seeing all memorabilia they had of all the rock stars. When they were building the guitar hotel, my family thought it was going to be an eyesore. Now I believe it is a shame that they didn't build the neck of the guitar due to the FAA and the flightpath to Ft. Laud-Hollywood Int. Airport.
I always felt that some of the mystique was lost when they started expanding beyond those first 2 US locations. In 1986 my high school marching band travelled to New York from California and getting to see the Hard Rock and getting a famous t-shirt was one of the most exciting things we did.
In St. Louis we had a Hard Rock Cafe but it only lasted for 20 years. Admittingly I never went there that much because of the high food prices but it was still a cool place to go to at times. When it was closing, I asked one of the workers and they said exactly what you said: "Everything is changing to hotels and casinos with the HR name". Sad they have closed several of their restaurants but it is what it is
I was at the hard Rock casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey and it was pretty nice parking free for military drinks or non-stop as long as you playing at the slots and is right there on the boardwalk it seemed like they had way more customers than all the other casinos around in the vicinity
My wife and I enjoy visiting Hard Rock Cafes when we are in a different city and collect their magnets. The food is good and we enjoy the venue in Las Vegas Eva’s for a concert a few years back. Keep up the work dude. Love what you bring to the table.
I used to patronize their NYC location nearLincoln Center, but that one has since closed and moved to The Paramount Theater in Times Square, turning it into a bit of a tourist trap. I have visited other locations, though, such as their Santo Domingo, Warsaw (Poland) and Rio de Janeiro locations.
I’ve visited Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana a couple times, and I’m always in awe every time I visit. The food is delicious too! It’s cool to see all the music memorabilia as well. It has hometown tie-ins and it’s awesome
Well man, as a young rocker myself I used to force my family to make a stop to whatever Hard Rock Cafe was around when I was a kid. And being as it was also like a rock and roll museum with food and good music, I was often very entertained and my parents didn’t object. This quest spanned many states and countries eventually, until one day I was in Grand Cayman with my girlfriend realizing that I was eating an overpriced cheeseburger and getting an unauthentic vacation experience… I looked around, said “this is stupid,” and we left. I haven’t been back to a Cafe since. I will occasionally visit their hotels and casinos if that’s the way the wind blows. 🎸✌️ ❤
I think another key to their success is that they establish locations in highly visited cities and locations. Almost every big city I’ve been to in America, Europe, and Asia has a Hard Rock Cafe. Tourists know that they can go there for familiar and consistent food. Plus, they make it a game to see how many Hard Rock locations they can visit in their lifetimes.
Great video. I've never been to Hard Rock Cafe but i've heard about it through celeb news sites. Also i had no idea it started in London. For some reason i thought it was here from the beginning.
I remember back in the late 80s/early 90s it eas cool to wear a Hard Rock T-shirt with the name of the city you went to one on it. I had one from the extremely exotic location of Chicago 😂
I went to the original Hard Rock cafe in London back in 2000 on a college trip. I went there with a group after visiting Stonehenge and Bath on the same day. I consider that my best day and at the time it certainly was. . The food was good and it was neat seeing the rock memorabilia. That said I do see Hard Rock as kitschy and corporate, but it still should be visited occasionally. It's no worse than visiting a McDonald's or a Starbucks in a different city or country.
I’ve been to 4 Hard Rocks (Baltimore, Orlando, Niagara Falls, and WashingtonDC.. yeah they’re a bit overpriced but I still love the experience and looking at all the music memorabilia while hanging out with friends. I also have shot glasses from each one for my collection of nearly 50 I have from national parks, cities, or countries I’ve visited.
In terms of merchandising. I think you should mention their cups, they are why I and a lot of people I know go to Hard Rock. The first visit I went the cup was $5 extra with a drink, the cup is labeled for the specific location and after getting the first one I have visited locations in cities around the world to fill out a collection. Eating or just drinking and paying the $5 extra for the souvenir cup. It is a great way to get people in the door and is a cheap collection I have at home, I drink out of the cups though so a few have needed to be replaced with time too.
I have two things to comment: first, the ownership & locations nuances is bizarrely funny. Second, I have a "Hard Rock Cafe, San Francisco" sweatshirt from the 1980s that was given to me sometime in the 1990s, however, I have never been to a Hard Rock Cafe establishment of any type, (restraunt, casino, etc.) Not that I've never wanted to go, just the opportunity has yet to ever come up. (I did go to "Planet Hollywood" a couple times, but that's a story for the comments of the possible "Company Man" video.)
9:47 The "Flyover" sign in the background fits very well. I live in what's considered flyover country of the US and the closest Hard Rock Cafe to me is 570 miles away.
One thing you forgot to mention is, the food. Weird as this sounds. The food at Hard Rock Cafe was/is actually pretty good AND consistent across the brand. I've been to HRC's in Boston, Montreal, Dallas (weirdly all now closed) as well as Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. Prices were also reasonable and they are kinda today.
I love hard rock cafe, all the memories where i love to hang out for classic rock and roll and those awesome display of famous musicians when i was a young adult in Manila.
My hometown of Long Beach is getting a brand new, 31-story Hard Rock Hotel in the next couple of years. The economic report on the hotel showed that not only it was one of the most desired brands missing in the city, but that there is a large, national die-hard fan base that likes to stay at these hotels wherever they go. Apparently, they’re going focus the theming on G-funk and other west coast hip hop. It’s also going to have the highest rooftop bar directly on the Pacific coast! The brand seemed cheesy to me as a kid, but I can totally expect to stay/eat at one in the future
Stayed at the Hard Rock Resort in Orlando for 2 weeks in 2008 when I was 20. Loved it. Just saw the Casino in Hollywood, FL on the last night of a Fort Lauderdale Bachelor Party I went to in April. Looks cool.
The closest I got to a Hard Rock Cafe was in downtown Atlanta in the mid-90s. I read the menu in the window and laughed at the prices. It was 100% a trap for bored visiting businessmen. For a $6 cab ride, they could have been at the Cheetah. (:
I did get to stay at the Vegas casino back in '95 when my parents took me there for my 21st birthday and we went for Christmas. What I learned was it was really cool seeing the memorabilia, my room had a guitar from the legendary Duane Allman, and I believe they had a cool arcade room which I spent more time there due to, after winning a jackpot, I found that sitting in front of a slot machine was super boring. My folks loved Vegas and made it seem really awesome but I didn't find it all that great but I did love staying there, got some cool merch, and I have great memories and Hark Rock is really iconic.
I have never been to one, and only knew of it growing up from the ocassional shirt. As a adult, it's more from my love for classic rock music, dine-in restaurants, and my hatred for the RRHoF.
I’ve long been a fan of their Cafe since I was a kid, and I remember the pyramid they used to have in Myrtle Beach. I even still have the T-shirt from back then. Also, fun fact: The Hardrock Hotel and Casino in Sioux City is now owned by Churchill Downs. I’m now at a company that works with this company’s casino websites and many others, and this video just popped into my feed! Thank you for posting about this company!
I live about 40 minutes north of Atlantic City and we love the Hard Rock there. The food is great and the event venue is so fun and versatile. We just saw Frankie Valli there a few weeks ago. It's fun to just walk around and get to look at the memorabilia. The majority of the items are from NJ native artists like Springsteen, The Rat Pack, and Ice-T so you get a nice mix if information (there is a lot on the little plaques by the items) about the location and art.
Exactly. They're not just restaurants, they're effectively dine-in museums. As a depressed 90s kid, the visit I had at the Seattle location was awesome because of that.
Speaking of their collection, the first time I went to one was the one in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We sat directly under a display of Conway Twitty's guitar as well as some of his recording equipment.
Interesting for those in the Pacific Northwest. We lost the Hard Rock Cafe in Vancouver before I was born, the hard rock casino Vancouver rebranded due to being expensive to license and Seattle location appears to have closed as well
My wife and I have been married for over thirty years. We went to our first Hard Rock on our honeymoon in Cancun Mexico. Since then,we've gone to a Hard Rock wherever we go. Chicago, Tennessee, Florida, San Juan P. R. Paris,London. It's our thing. It's great, they are all basically the same except for the memorabilia. Finding the fur coat John Lennon wore during the rooptop concert feel like meeting a celebrity.
In Chicago, McDonald's flagship location was called the Rock n' Roll McDonalds, was next to the Chicago Hard Rock with rock themeing. Now it is pointlessly remodled, probably because of suspicious copyright to Hard Rock next door.
7 years strong and I never get disappointed by a video that you make. You always take the most random of companies that I wouldn't have given two seconds to and make me care about the company or understand why they're disliked. I would definitely like to see a Planet Hollywood video. I actually thought they were dead somewhere about the turn of the century so it's interesting to see that there's still around
When I lived in and traveled Europe in 89 Hard Rock Cafe's were the cool places to go for the young travelers..buy the shirts, eat, drink and just interact with people from all over. Good memories and good times. I really have no desire to visit a modern theme park style Hard Rock mega place.
I remember I was at the Hard Rock Cafe in Mall of America in like 2016 and they had one of Eric Clapton’s guitars on display. I was just looking at it like “damn he really played that thing himself”
The Hard Rock Cafe in Cleveland was open for ever and it fit right in with the Hall of Fame and House of Blues. It was a cool experience, but the food was terrible lol
On the topic of themed restaurants, maybe you could do one on the decline of rainforest cafe? You could also do a video on the decline of Tony Roma's, and the decline of flakey jake's
I have to say I've been to Orlando a few times, and "Hands Down", Universal's Hard Rock Hotel is the best place to stay!!! Rooms are fine, Fabulous Pool, Easy walk to the the 2 Amusment Parks, and delicious Food!!!
Really enjoying your content. Curious if you’ve already done a story on Schwan’s Food Delivery (now known as Yelloh!). It seems they have fallen on hard times lately due to competition.
When my sister and I were teenagers, my parents would let us pick where we wanted to go for dinner on our birthdays. For me, it was a race between Hard Rock Cafe and Ed Debevic's (a locally owned restaurant themed to a 1950s diner) to see which one would come flying out of my mouth.
We travel a lot, my family and I. Anywhere we go, my brother insists on trying to get to a Hard Rock to buy a pint glass, and he's pretty good at accomplishing that. I was in London one summer back in high school and a bunch of us ate at the Hard Rock... the original Hard Rock. I did not know until your video today that that was the original Hard Rock Cafe. Pretty cool and thanks for the info!
In the mid-80s I was working for Universal Studios Orlando Florida, before the park was open to the public, we went to the Hard Rock there, the staff was on their game, and they explained to me that they were flown in temporally from all over to train the local staff on how to do it right, so the grand opening would be a success, I thought this was a brilliant business plan. Every time a new Hard Rock opened a crack team would come to set it up right.
I used to have a Hard Rock Cafe Bangkok shirt but I've thrown it away because I did not wear it any more. Also, there is a Hard Rock here in Budapest, but I have only seen it from the outside.
On trips to Vegas I always made sure to spend some time for food and drinks at the Hard Rock Cafe located in the hotel. Looking forward to seeing the new hotel in a couple of years.
Hard Rock is opening a casino, concert venue and resort it my town, should be open by this fall. I love eating at a Hard Rock restaurant. While yes, the food is expensive, but the experience and quality is always amazing.
You weren't joking when you said there's Hard Rock Cafe's on every continent. I just googled "hard rock cafe locations africa" and there's four of them in Egypt, three of them in South Africa, and one each in Nigeria and Tunisia! I didn't expect that!
Watching this was wild because I had NO IDEA IT WAS AN ACTUAL PLACE! I'm from South America and associate their name and logo to vintage/dad jackets made of good quality denim, and that's all I knew - I just assumed it was a 80s rock thing that no longer existed. This is crazy!
Rank would be an interesting company to cover Film making, cinemas, theme parks, hotels, restaurants, motorway services, nightclubs, photocopiers, theatre lighting, holiday parks, casinos, bingo etc.
86,000 pieces of music memorabilia… meanwhile I have over 86,000 unread emails. We all collect something, I guess.
You should really check those email. There are probably about a hundred African princes that want to share their fortunes with you.
@@Mrtfarrugia I mean I could use some of that extra cash to pay off my mortgage, so why not?
@@Mrtfarrugia All you have to do is share your credit card info and SS#
I can beat you on that qty ☺️👍
Remember when the iPhone mail app had a notification for each email unread? I don't think I ever saw anyone without a mail app that said "99+" on it
Hard Rock employee here, I actually agree it's drifted from its original roots. BUT I would say for in order for the company to stay relevant it had to expand. Depending on which locations you go to (I work at the one in Hollywood,FL) there's much to see with an expansive collection of memorable like you mentioned, the guitar light shows, and oculus shows. Things you won't ever see anywhere else on this scale.
Yeah but people go to a restaurant to eat, not look at memorabilia. If the food were spectacular, the rest would all just be a finishing touch. But when the main appeal is just nostalgia, mediocre food quality and some bimbo server with an attitude, the place won't stay open long.
For my Birthday in September 2020 my wife and I went to the Original Hard Rock Cafe in Piccadilly London.
Because of world events central London was like a ghost town and we had the restaurant to ourselves. We got chatting to the staff and ended up getting a personal tour in their museum located next door where they keep their most valuable memorabilia.
Being that I was a low point as I recently lost my job. It was a very much needed up lift.
I would recommend anyone who is a fan of classic rock to visit it.
Speaking of themed restaurants, do a Decline of TGI Fridays
I used to love going there but haven’t been to one in many a year
I second this!!
Do one for Rainforest Cafe.
Shall also do one on the decline of the following: Chi-Chi's and Ruby Tuesday.
My guess - without looking it up - is they all declined due to the food getting worse as the new owners looked to increase profits after the leveraged buyouts. amirite?
Surprisingly, it doesn’t look like you’ve done a video on Lululemon yet. I bet that would be a huge one. Keep up the great work, Mike!
I honestly dont want to see a video about lululemon.
@@claireconoversame like😭
That's a pretty controversial one to get into.
@@lagautmdwhat’s controversial about lll?
@@lagautmd I don't see them as any more controversial than some of the other companies covered on this channel.
Ah yes, The Hard Rock.
Planet Hollywood’s classier music-focused cousin.
I definitely conflated the two in my head while watching. I thought, "successful???"
Rainforest Cafe's less gimmicky cousin.
Wasn't planet Hollywood technically a knock off of the Hard rock restaurant.
Same. I thought I wondered into an alternative universe
161 likes for making a joke that is covered in the video
When I traveled more, I collected Hard Rock t-shirts and sweaters because they each had the name of the city where I bought them. I also loved several of the Hard Rock casinos.
Aren’t they all made in Bagladesh?
Can't you just order them online with international shipping?
@@chefnyc Yep, but that's not where he bought them.
@@chefnyc and your point?
@@willn8664 You can go to "Hard Rock Bangladesh" and buy all of them
When I was a kid the Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt was the epitome of cool for me. Now that I am an adult the last vestige of childhood is owning their t-shirts. I've traveled to a number of countries and usually don't have a desire to buy anything for myself -- except a shirt from their store if it's in the city I'm in. (But I haven't eaten there in at least a decade.)
I'm from Miami and you can see the light from the Hard Rock Hotel pretty much anywhere over here when you look up at night in that general direction.
If they build another one it should be a Gibson
I live right by it and I can see it from my house.
Well that is basically one of the best Hard Rock world wide...
Best Hard rock , you can get food and then quick fornication after
I *LOVE* Hard Rock Cafe and I’m so glad you made a video exploring it’s history and success. My favorite aspect of HRC is the pin collecting - each location sells lapel pins with unique designs relating to the culture and history of the area (often tying into music as well). I’ve been collecting these for over a decade now, and I’ve got over 100 pins from 56 different cities across 28 states, 14 countries and 4 continents!
Here’s some fun facts about the history of HRC (with a particular focus on the business):
1) both Morton and Tigrett are related to other famous nationwide theme restaurants. Morton’s father founded the famous Morton’s Steakhouse chain, while Tigrett founded House of Blues alongside Dan Aykroyd.
2) Although you mentioned how the NYC location was the first East of the Mississippi, Tigrett actually opened a location a year prior in his hometown Jackson, Tennessee. He joked that he did this so his mom could dine at his restaurant without flying to London. The location didn’t have much foot traffic and closed after six months.
3) Today’s company is split into roughly four segments: Hard Rock Cafes, Hard Rock Hotels, Hard Rock Casinos, and Hard Rock Lives. However, the company experimented with many other business ventures over the years. You mentioned their stadium deal in Miami Gardens, but they also have owned a night club in Niagara Falls, a Beach Club in Choktaw, Mississippi, a “Hard Rock Vault” in Orlando, a golf course in Punta Cana and a theme park in Myrtle Beach. Evidently these ventures failed for one reason or another.
4) As you mentioned, the future of the company lies in its Casino division. Over the past five years, the domestic focus has been on opening casinos in smallish towns (often partnering with nearby Native American Tribes). This includes Gary, IN; Kenosha, WI; Rockford, IL; Bristol, VA; & Bakersfield, CA. Unfortunately this focus has come at the expense of stand-alone Hard Rock Cafes in large, but not massive cities (especially those without major tourism). Over the past five years, locations have closed in Phoenix, Boston, Seattle, Memphis, Denver, Detroit, Dallas and Louisville.
Thank you for making such a comprehensive and enjoyable video about Hard Rock Cafe!!!
You didn’t mention Hard Rock Park…
I don’t blame you one bit.
Hardrock: "Sure, come by and give us your pitch for a rock & roll theme park!"
Us: That wasn't our idea at all! Quick lots of work on napkins & the back of evelopes!
If it worked that would be the park founding legend. Since it didn't it's a "cautionary tale" instead...
Well Hard Rock only gave the rights to use their name
To be fair, a lot of people don’t even know about Hard Rock Park since it did only last one year. Still, I was hoping he would mention it! I love Myrtle Beach, and although I didn’t get the chance to go to the park, I wish it had stuck around. I understand why it failed, though.
Every time I travel with my dad, we’ve gone to a Hard Rock. I get the local burger and we walk away with some glassware. It’s one of my favorite traditions
They still have the local burgers?
@@jan-louiscosme2164 last time I went, they did. I don’t know if that’s changed. It was a big selling point for me
Hard Rock Cafe always seemed to have much better food than the other themed restaurants like Planet Hollywood and Rainforest Cafe. That's probably why they're the most successful. I remember when the one that used to be at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles opened. It was a huge deal since it was the first in the USA. I did get to eat at that one a couple of times with my family. Saw a few concerts at the old Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas including Depeche Mode in a makeshift arena in the outside parking lot. The club inside the hotel was nice as well.
I never thought the food was all that great, not bad but not great.
But I love the hotels. Fun and high end.
That Depeche Mode show must’ve been awesome.
Finally, something I can comment on.
I work for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Before that, I worked at Hard Rock in Hollywood. 12 years strong.
At the casino?
that's cool. i gave you guys a visit not too long ago and really enjoyed talking to and learning about the seminoles. so much that white people history books didn't teach me in school, you know?
@@morewi yes
That's your own fault for being too dumb to expand your knowledge beyond a crappy public school education.
I can tell you're a Native American Indian. All of such folks dwell in the New World.
I worked for one. It was run by the Cherokee Nation, which I am a member. It was rad. I mean absolutely rad. Two fully staffed cafeterias with different menus 24/7. Not for the guests. For the employees. Free hotel rooms if it's even raining hard. And a sign up sheet to work concerts. I've worked an Alan Jackson concert. Super cool.
FYI, the first Hard Rock Cafe in North America was opened up in 1978 near Yonge and Dundas in Toronto Canada.
I was there once. I didn't know that it was the first one 😮 If driving to, in and around Toronto wasn't such pain I'd probably go again
@@Dave-ip7hs From what I recall they closed that location down recently.
Shame, it was a nice spot.
@@ThatGuyBrian ah. Well. Hmm just did a look-see and apparently there's another one coming soon to the 4th level of the tenor on dundas. Sheesh
In 2012, I had a layover in Orlando. So I went to the Hard Rock at Universal. I ended up getting a VIP Tour because I nailed a quiz about everything on the walls and ceiling. I had my picture taken with John Lennon's couch that he wrote about 80% of his songs on. That's Beatles and solo. One of my best days ever!
DIDNT KNOW WHO JOHN LENNON WAS UNTIL I GOOGLED HIS NAME.
DAMM UR OLD
@@ronscurti1269 Damn, you need to expand your horizons!
I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas a couple years after it opened. It was for an event there and the place was pretty nice, from the front desk to the expensive hotel rooms. When I was finished checking in, the guy at the front desk greeted me with “Welcome to The Hard Rock!” As he looked me straight in the eye. It made me feel kinda special for a minute, that I was at someplace special.
And I think that has to be part of the company’s success. It’s not just a place to go, see a concert, eat or stay - it’s a destination where the ambience and employees make the customers feel a cut above. Even while you’re burning your credit card to a crisp, they make you feel good about it and yourself. Until you’re back out on the street. Then you’re just another schmoe. But, hey! You’ve just been to The Hard Rock! 😀😀😀💸💸💸💸💸
Went to the Hard Rock Casino Hotel in Las Vegas every year, from 1999 to 2010 & that center bar was iconic. The place was packed & celebrities were there all the time. I hope the new one is just as cool when it opens in 2027.
I spent a long weekend at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. From the restaurants, swimming pool, gaming, shopping, and room, it was first-rate luxury experience all around with excellent service. The music memorabilia was just insane too!
TIL Hard Rock didn't start out in the US.
It is largely associated with the USA because of its flagship location in South Florida (and it has the naming rights on a nearby stadium).
Stayed at Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana Dominican Republic in 2018 and had a blast. Highly reccomend.
I remember hoopla when the first one came to LA! It was built in my neighborhood and you would often see celebrities going in or out. Around 1981, a mall was built around it and both are still there!
The original LA Hard Rock was at Beverly Center, it closed in 2006. Hard Rock LA is now located at Ovation Hollywood (formerly Hollywood and Highland) shopping center on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
I travel to NW Iowa for work, and tonight I’m staying at my usual hotel, right across the street from Hard Rock Cafe. Got my dinner and ready for my Wednesday night tradition!
I would recommend about making a video about the rank corporation. They were one of the biggest hospitality and entertainment companies from the UK which fell from grace massively. They went from making movies and owning holiday camps like Butlins and Haven to owning casinos and bingo halls.
The original restaurant in Vegas made an incredible spinach, club wrap. Roasted turkey, carved ham, and roast beef with leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado in a spinach tortilla. Sadly on on the menu, 2 years.
Perfect timing given that the Las Vegas Mirage which they bought is closing in a week…
That's the resort the Griswolds went to in Vegas Vacation...also home of Siegfried & Roy.
The way I see it, Hard Rock built a global brand that resonates with music lovers and foodies alike, creating a unique, immersive experience that keeps fans coming back for more.
The only Hard Rock Cafe my wife and I visited that didn't result in an argument was in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (New York City, nope; Nashville, TN, nope.)
In New York City, the food was alright, albeit overpriced (even for the mid-90s). I don't think we ate at the Nashville location; however, I did buy a varsity jacket - pink leather sleeves and gray wool body - that started our second argument (she wound up wearing it more than I did and received several compliments about it).
Pigeon Forge was just us sitting at the bar, waiting for the grandkids to finish at the upside-down haunted house next door, argument-free and laughing at the irony.
When I was in Orlando, FL many years ago, I visited the Hard Rock Cafe there. I was amazed!
I live next to the Guitar Hotel in Hollywood, Florida and it's crazy to me that they chose to build one of the coolest looking buildings in an area with no other hotels or skyscrapers.
It’s because it’s on the Seminole reservation in Hollywood
I live in Hollywood, FL. I as a kid, remember going to the Hard Rock for the concerts and the restaurant. I loved seeing all memorabilia they had of all the rock stars. When they were building the guitar hotel, my family thought it was going to be an eyesore. Now I believe it is a shame that they didn't build the neck of the guitar due to the FAA and the flightpath to Ft. Laud-Hollywood Int. Airport.
I always felt that some of the mystique was lost when they started expanding beyond those first 2 US locations. In 1986 my high school marching band travelled to New York from California and getting to see the Hard Rock and getting a famous t-shirt was one of the most exciting things we did.
In St. Louis we had a Hard Rock Cafe but it only lasted for 20 years. Admittingly I never went there that much because of the high food prices but it was still a cool place to go to at times. When it was closing, I asked one of the workers and they said exactly what you said: "Everything is changing to hotels and casinos with the HR name". Sad they have closed several of their restaurants but it is what it is
Fantastic video!! Just a suggestion, do a rise and fall on a similar chain, planet hollywood!
Good idea
It's such an eerie sight to be driving down the highway and just seeing a gigantic guitar stretching into the sky
One of my bucket list for places to hit up during the apocalypse! Catch me rocking the thriller jacket with blues brothers sunglasses.
You never actually mentioned the food, which is delicious and probably a big part of the success as well.
Whatcha talking about? Guitars taste horrible.
@@Sonny_McMacssonAgreed, I prefer eating saxophones
@@cosmicminun59 Surely you were referring to "snaxaphones".
The food was the very reason that place failed in my home market twice.
@@summersky77what's your home market? Was it the quality or simply cultural?
I was at the hard Rock casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey and it was pretty nice parking free for military drinks or non-stop as long as you playing at the slots and is right there on the boardwalk it seemed like they had way more customers than all the other casinos around in the vicinity
My wife and I enjoy visiting Hard Rock Cafes when we are in a different city and collect their magnets. The food is good and we enjoy the venue in Las Vegas Eva’s for a concert a few years back. Keep up the work dude. Love what you bring to the table.
My mother actually stayed in the guitar shaped hotel in Florida and she really loved it
I used to patronize their NYC location nearLincoln Center, but that one has since closed and moved to The Paramount Theater in Times Square, turning it into a bit of a tourist trap. I have visited other locations, though, such as their Santo Domingo, Warsaw (Poland) and Rio de Janeiro locations.
I’ve visited Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana a couple times, and I’m always in awe every time I visit. The food is delicious too! It’s cool to see all the music memorabilia as well. It has hometown tie-ins and it’s awesome
The hard rock guitar in Florida is amazing
I'm all in for the Planet Hollywood video, or maybe even a video dedicated to the Themed restaurants of the 90s that are now defunct:
Well man, as a young rocker myself I used to force my family to make a stop to whatever Hard Rock Cafe was around when I was a kid. And being as it was also like a rock and roll museum with food and good music, I was often very entertained and my parents didn’t object. This quest spanned many states and countries eventually, until one day I was in Grand Cayman with my girlfriend realizing that I was eating an overpriced cheeseburger and getting an unauthentic vacation experience… I looked around, said “this is stupid,” and we left.
I haven’t been back to a Cafe since.
I will occasionally visit their hotels and casinos if that’s the way the wind blows.
🎸✌️ ❤
I think another key to their success is that they establish locations in highly visited cities and locations. Almost every big city I’ve been to in America, Europe, and Asia has a Hard Rock Cafe. Tourists know that they can go there for familiar and consistent food. Plus, they make it a game to see how many Hard Rock locations they can visit in their lifetimes.
Great video. I've never been to Hard Rock Cafe but i've heard about it through celeb news sites. Also i had no idea it started in London. For some reason i thought it was here from the beginning.
The original London restaurant is still going.
The museum they have next door is something special
I remember back in the late 80s/early 90s it eas cool to wear a Hard Rock T-shirt with the name of the city you went to one on it. I had one from the extremely exotic location of Chicago 😂
I went to the original Hard Rock cafe in London back in 2000 on a college trip. I went there with a group after visiting Stonehenge and Bath on the same day. I consider that my best day and at the time it certainly was. .
The food was good and it was neat seeing the rock memorabilia. That said I do see Hard Rock as kitschy and corporate, but it still should be visited occasionally. It's no worse than visiting a McDonald's or a Starbucks in a different city or country.
I’ve been to 4 Hard Rocks (Baltimore, Orlando, Niagara Falls, and WashingtonDC.. yeah they’re a bit overpriced but I still love the experience and looking at all the music memorabilia while hanging out with friends. I also have shot glasses from each one for my collection of nearly 50 I have from national parks, cities, or countries I’ve visited.
I frequent the Atlantic City casino and have been to numerous cafes. I do enjoy seeing the different memorabilia and atmosphere.
In terms of merchandising. I think you should mention their cups, they are why I and a lot of people I know go to Hard Rock. The first visit I went the cup was $5 extra with a drink, the cup is labeled for the specific location and after getting the first one I have visited locations in cities around the world to fill out a collection. Eating or just drinking and paying the $5 extra for the souvenir cup. It is a great way to get people in the door and is a cheap collection I have at home, I drink out of the cups though so a few have needed to be replaced with time too.
I have two things to comment: first, the ownership & locations nuances is bizarrely funny. Second, I have a "Hard Rock Cafe, San Francisco" sweatshirt from the 1980s that was given to me sometime in the 1990s, however, I have never been to a Hard Rock Cafe establishment of any type, (restraunt, casino, etc.) Not that I've never wanted to go, just the opportunity has yet to ever come up. (I did go to "Planet Hollywood" a couple times, but that's a story for the comments of the possible "Company Man" video.)
9:47 The "Flyover" sign in the background fits very well. I live in what's considered flyover country of the US and the closest Hard Rock Cafe to me is 570 miles away.
One thing you forgot to mention is, the food. Weird as this sounds. The food at Hard Rock Cafe was/is actually pretty good AND consistent across the brand. I've been to HRC's in Boston, Montreal, Dallas (weirdly all now closed) as well as Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. Prices were also reasonable and they are kinda today.
I love hard rock cafe, all the memories where i love to hang out for classic rock and roll and those awesome display of famous musicians when i was a young adult in Manila.
Speaking of themed restaurants, Rainforest Cafe was super cool!
My hometown of Long Beach is getting a brand new, 31-story Hard Rock Hotel in the next couple of years. The economic report on the hotel showed that not only it was one of the most desired brands missing in the city, but that there is a large, national die-hard fan base that likes to stay at these hotels wherever they go. Apparently, they’re going focus the theming on G-funk and other west coast hip hop. It’s also going to have the highest rooftop bar directly on the Pacific coast!
The brand seemed cheesy to me as a kid, but I can totally expect to stay/eat at one in the future
Stayed at the Hard Rock Resort in Orlando for 2 weeks in 2008 when I was 20. Loved it.
Just saw the Casino in Hollywood, FL on the last night of a Fort Lauderdale Bachelor Party I went to in April. Looks cool.
The closest I got to a Hard Rock Cafe was in downtown Atlanta in the mid-90s. I read the menu in the window and laughed at the prices. It was 100% a trap for bored visiting businessmen. For a $6 cab ride, they could have been at the Cheetah. (:
I started collecting hard rock t shirts and denim in the last few years. Their vintage merch is really good quality and I like the aesthetic.
I did get to stay at the Vegas casino back in '95 when my parents took me there for my 21st birthday and we went for Christmas. What I learned was it was really cool seeing the memorabilia, my room had a guitar from the legendary Duane Allman, and I believe they had a cool arcade room which I spent more time there due to, after winning a jackpot, I found that sitting in front of a slot machine was super boring. My folks loved Vegas and made it seem really awesome but I didn't find it all that great but I did love staying there, got some cool merch, and I have great memories and Hark Rock is really iconic.
The only Hard Rock I’ve ever been to was their amusement park in Myrtle Beach. Don’t think it’s around anymore, but it was a good time.
I have never been to one, and only knew of it growing up from the ocassional shirt. As a adult, it's more from my love for classic rock music, dine-in restaurants, and my hatred for the RRHoF.
I’ve long been a fan of their Cafe since I was a kid, and I remember the pyramid they used to have in Myrtle Beach. I even still have the T-shirt from back then.
Also, fun fact: The Hardrock Hotel and Casino in Sioux City is now owned by Churchill Downs. I’m now at a company that works with this company’s casino websites and many others, and this video just popped into my feed!
Thank you for posting about this company!
I live about 40 minutes north of Atlantic City and we love the Hard Rock there. The food is great and the event venue is so fun and versatile. We just saw Frankie Valli there a few weeks ago. It's fun to just walk around and get to look at the memorabilia. The majority of the items are from NJ native artists like Springsteen, The Rat Pack, and Ice-T so you get a nice mix if information (there is a lot on the little plaques by the items) about the location and art.
Exactly. They're not just restaurants, they're effectively dine-in museums. As a depressed 90s kid, the visit I had at the Seattle location was awesome because of that.
Speaking of their collection, the first time I went to one was the one in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We sat directly under a display of Conway Twitty's guitar as well as some of his recording equipment.
Interesting for those in the Pacific Northwest. We lost the Hard Rock Cafe in Vancouver before I was born, the hard rock casino Vancouver rebranded due to being expensive to license and Seattle location appears to have closed as well
Another reason why they're successful......
Legal sports betting .
" You can make a bet on Hard Rock bet , no more just inside ur head "
My wife and I have been married for over thirty years. We went to our first Hard Rock on our honeymoon in Cancun Mexico. Since then,we've gone to a Hard Rock wherever we go. Chicago, Tennessee, Florida, San Juan P. R. Paris,London. It's our thing. It's great, they are all basically the same except for the memorabilia. Finding the fur coat John Lennon wore during the rooptop concert feel like meeting a celebrity.
In Chicago, McDonald's flagship location was called the Rock n' Roll McDonalds, was next to the Chicago Hard Rock with rock themeing. Now it is pointlessly remodled, probably because of suspicious copyright to Hard Rock next door.
7 years strong and I never get disappointed by a video that you make. You always take the most random of companies that I wouldn't have given two seconds to and make me care about the company or understand why they're disliked. I would definitely like to see a Planet Hollywood video. I actually thought they were dead somewhere about the turn of the century so it's interesting to see that there's still around
Dang, I really wanted to visit Antarctica for the Hard Rock Cafe.
When I lived in and traveled Europe in 89 Hard Rock Cafe's were the cool places to go for the young travelers..buy the shirts, eat, drink and just interact with people from all over. Good memories and good times. I really have no desire to visit a modern theme park style Hard Rock mega place.
I remember I was at the Hard Rock Cafe in Mall of America in like 2016 and they had one of Eric Clapton’s guitars on display. I was just looking at it like “damn he really played that thing himself”
The Hard Rock Cafe in Cleveland was open for ever and it fit right in with the Hall of Fame and House of Blues. It was a cool experience, but the food was terrible lol
Failed to mention that Morton came from a very affluent, restaurant family, namesake of Morton's Steakhouses
On the topic of themed restaurants, maybe you could do one on the decline of rainforest cafe? You could also do a video on the decline of Tony Roma's, and the decline of flakey jake's
So successful they closed down like 80% of their locations and never reopened them
I have to say I've been to Orlando a few times, and "Hands Down", Universal's Hard Rock Hotel is the best place to stay!!! Rooms are fine, Fabulous Pool, Easy walk to the the 2 Amusment Parks, and delicious Food!!!
Really enjoying your content. Curious if you’ve already done a story on Schwan’s Food Delivery (now known as Yelloh!). It seems they have fallen on hard times lately due to competition.
When my sister and I were teenagers, my parents would let us pick where we wanted to go for dinner on our birthdays. For me, it was a race between Hard Rock Cafe and Ed Debevic's (a locally owned restaurant themed to a 1950s diner) to see which one would come flying out of my mouth.
I went to both Hard Rocks in NY and in Philly. They have some great foods and have best Breakfast food.
We travel a lot, my family and I. Anywhere we go, my brother insists on trying to get to a Hard Rock to buy a pint glass, and he's pretty good at accomplishing that.
I was in London one summer back in high school and a bunch of us ate at the Hard Rock... the original Hard Rock. I did not know until your video today that that was the original Hard Rock Cafe. Pretty cool and thanks for the info!
In the mid-80s I was working for Universal Studios Orlando Florida, before the park was open to the public, we went to the Hard Rock there, the staff was on their game, and they explained to me that they were flown in temporally from all over to train the local staff on how to do it right, so the grand opening would be a success, I thought this was a brilliant business plan. Every time a new Hard Rock opened a crack team would come to set it up right.
Remember, YOU are the boss of your channel, CM! You don’t owe the viewers anything.
Lies. He owes me $50
I came back to this video to comment that you absolutely NEED to do another video on redbull and their ascendency in the sports market
Please do a dedicated video for Planet Hollywood. Wild that Hard Rock outlived the music business.
I used to have a Hard Rock Cafe Bangkok shirt but I've thrown it away because I did not wear it any more. Also, there is a Hard Rock here in Budapest, but I have only seen it from the outside.
On trips to Vegas I always made sure to spend some time for food and drinks at the Hard Rock Cafe located in the hotel. Looking forward to seeing the new hotel in a couple of years.
I always visit Hard Rock Cafe when I visit a city that has one. Love the whole experience. Even Iceland. Never been to hotel or casino
Hard Rock is opening a casino, concert venue and resort it my town, should be open by this fall. I love eating at a Hard Rock restaurant. While yes, the food is expensive, but the experience and quality is always amazing.
You weren't joking when you said there's Hard Rock Cafe's on every continent. I just googled "hard rock cafe locations africa" and there's four of them in Egypt, three of them in South Africa, and one each in Nigeria and Tunisia! I didn't expect that!
Watching this was wild because I had NO IDEA IT WAS AN ACTUAL PLACE! I'm from South America and associate their name and logo to vintage/dad jackets made of good quality denim, and that's all I knew - I just assumed it was a 80s rock thing that no longer existed. This is crazy!
Rank would be an interesting company to cover
Film making, cinemas, theme parks, hotels, restaurants, motorway services, nightclubs, photocopiers, theatre lighting, holiday parks, casinos, bingo etc.
Lol I like how you told us about Pete Townsend and The Who like they're some underground band no one has ever heard of 🤪
I've never eaten at a Hard Rock Cafe, but I checked out the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas years ago.
Another good entry CM… And a very big YES to Planet Hollywood !!
They aren't in Antarctica, but there is a location in the town in Argentina, Ushuaia, where you catch the cruise ship to Antarctica.