Situated all over the World, The Hard Rock Café has become a staple name in music memorabilia history. There is always a fun, friendly atmosphere keeping the buzz of rock & roll and music history alive!
The first Hard Rock Café (HRC) opened on June 14, 1971, at Gloucester House, Piccadilly, London, under the ownership of young Americans Vincenzo Panetta and Chris Flagg. The Hard Rock used to have an eclectic decor yet now it has quite the opposite displaying music memorabilia in all their restaurants.
The chain began to expand worldwide in 1982 with locations in Toronto, Chicago, Paris, Berlin to name a few. Hard Rock locations in the United States vary from smaller, more tourist-driven markets to large metropolises (Houston, Philadelphia, New York City.) hence its fame. In 1990, The Rank Group, a London-based leisure company, acquired Mecca Leisure Group. They continued the expansion of the concept in its geographic territory. After the completion of these acquisitions, Rank gained worldwide control of the brand.
Hard Rock Café is known for its collection of rock-and-roll memorabilia. The cafes donations of music memorabilia but also purchase a number of items at auctions around the world, including autographed guitars, costumes from world tours and rare photographs; these are often to be found mounted on café walls. The collection began in 1979 with an un-signed Red Fender Lead II guitar from Eric Clapton, who was a regular at the first restaurant in London.
Hard Rock Cafe’s are situated all over the World from London to Cairo to Bangkok and Lisbon. With some having hotel and casino facility’s built in as well as a stadium in Florida it’s no wonder Hard Rock Café is such a well-known name.
