Bob Geldof, a British musician known for his Live-Aid efforts and his band the Boomtown Rats, celebrated at the London Hard Rock following his honorary knighthood. These events have included informal jam sessions, such as the 1995 performance by Sting and Elton John.
Paul McCartney, Prince, Janet Jackson, Sting, Elton John, George Harrison, and Peter Gabriel are among the stars who have performed there. The first Hard Rock Cafe, in London, has also been a popular spot for the superstars of rock to perform and celebrate. The company boasts that it owns some of the most priceless rock 'n roll artifacts on display anywhere in the world. The pieces are circulated periodically from restaurant to restaurant worldwide. Not to be outdone, Pete Townshend sent his guitar along with a note stating, "Mine's as good as his!" The collection grew to more than 35,000 items by 1997. The chain's first item of memorabilia was a guitar donated by Eric Clapton. The restaurants are perhaps most famous for their decor, which is covered with anything and everything related to rock music and the musicians who play it. The restaurant name itself was inspired by the art on an album cover: According to corporate mythology, Tigrett was studying the small print on the back sleeve of The Doors' 1970 album Morrison Hotel when he noticed the picture of a make-believe cocktailbar called the Hard Rock Cafe. The restaurant's theme was inspired by a love of American popular music.įrom its very beginning the Hard Rock Cafe was dedicated to rock 'n roll and everything associated with it. Items on the menu were inspired by Tennessee truck stop fare: burgers, fries, shakes, and apple pies. The venue was a former Rolls Royce showroom in London's Mayfair District. The pair scraped together $10,000 and acquired a loan to open their first Hard Rock Cafe on June 14, 1971. They wanted a restaurant that would offer food everybody could enjoy in a place in which everyone was treated equally. Peter Morton, whose family ran Morton's Steakhouse, and Isaac Tigrett, a Memphis native, longed for American hamburgers and ice-cold beer. The idea for the first Hard Rock Cafe came to a pair of expatriate Americans living in London. Nation's Restaurant News calls Hard Rock Cafe "one of the world's best-known, highest-grossing, and most influential restaurant creations." The magazine's Theresa Howard noted, "Aligning itself with all things cool under the sun, Hard Rock is ensuring that it regains any ground lost during the heady rise of other entertainment-themed restaurants by positioning itself as the premier international entertainment and leisure company." Nation's Restaurant News reported, "The growth of Hard Rock Cafes has slowed, at least in the domestic markets." However, the company's consolidation under Rank management and its expanding interest in hotels and casinos indicate potential for strong growth.
Rank purchased Morton's share for $410 million however, Morton is still active in the development of new Hard Rock enterprises, including hotels and casinos.
The company is now held by the London-based Rank Organisation, but until 1996 functioned as two distinct corporations-one owned by Rank and one by cofounder Peter Morton. Hard Rock Cafes' 1997 sales totalled approximately $400 million.
The highly charged and informal atmosphere is enhanced by displays of rock memorabilia and a reputation for attracting musicians and other celebrities. Hard Rock Cafe operates and franchises restaurants serving high-quality, moderately priced American-style food and beverages.The Hard Rock Cafe was part of the first wave of popular theme restaurants, focusing on the worldwide fascination with rock 'n roll and its celebrities.
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