Hard Rock opens today at Hollywood & Highland Center

Rocking its way to Hollywood, CA’s most vibrant location, Hard Rock International is thrilled to bring its signature guest experience to the Hollywood and Highland Center on July 19, 2010! Located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard at the Hollywood & Highland Center, beside the world-famous Kodak Theater, just steps away from Grauman’s Chinese Theater and on Hollywood’s starry Walk of Fame, Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard is the ideal locale to foster the brand’s unique character appeal and cater to the evolving and distinctive needs of rockers of all ages who seek a reprieve from traditional casual dining experiences.

The 20,000-square-foot cafe includes spacious seating, a live music area, a vibrant bar and two Rock Shops featuring Hard Rock’s limited-edition merchandise. With state-of-the-art facilities, complete with cutting-edge multimedia technology, Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard is sure to contend as one of the city’s premier dining and entertainment destinations, complementing the city’s thriving music scene.

Consistent with the brand’s “Save the Planet” creed, and as a part of its broad development strategy, Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood Boulevard was designed to achieve Silver LEED certification, as defined by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System to provide a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Among several “eco-friendly” features, the cafe utilizes a self-regulating, energy-efficient lighting system and water conserving plumbing fixtures, effectively reducing its forecasted carbon footprint by 20 metric tons per year.

“After searching for a new iconic location for many years, we are proud to call Hollywood Boulevard home to Hard Rock’s newest cafe,” said Hamish Dodds, President and CEO Hard Rock International. “Hollywood & Highland Center is a ‘must-see’ destination, with the best in retail, fine dining and unique entertainment, and Hard Rock is poised to be the perfect complement to this amazing location.”

Eat Your Heart Out!
Guests can enjoy fresh, high-quality items from Hard Rock’s scratch-based menu, including the favorite Legendary Experience menu, featuring a selection of 10-ounce Certified Angus Beef Legendary Burgers. Hard Rock’s Local Legendary, the Hollywoodland Burger, an item created exclusively for the new cafe, is a 10-ounce choice burger, topped with roasted shallots and melted brie, layered on a warm potato bun with a rich tarragon aioli, crisp lettuce and sliced tomato served with garlic and white truffle French fries. Another mouth-watering menu addition unique to the Hollywood Boulevard cafe is the Gourmet Pizza selection with Neapolitan-style crust, using only the freshest ingredients and a tantalizing melding of flavors.

New Look ~ New Vibe ~ New Memorabilia Technology
In the latest example of Hard Rock’s concept-driven design evolution, the Hollywood Boulevard cafe was developed to integrate technology, creating a new look and vibe that will rock Hollywood. Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard showcases new and unique interactive experiences for guests – from an 18’ x 4’ Rock Wall™, to touch screens in booths throughout the cafe, to Microsoft Surface™, each featuring innovative multi-touch technology that enables fans to explore the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia collection and virtually tour all of Hard Rock’s venues worldwide.

In addition to the cutting-edge multimedia memorabilia experience, hundreds of items from Hard Rock’s iconic collection adorn the walls of Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard, including items from many of the world’s most beloved and recognizable musicians, as well as contemporary artists with local ties. Key memorabilia items are now on display, from Jimi Hendrix’s purple crushed velvet hat; to Janis Joplin’s love letter to then boyfriend Peter LeBlanc; Jim Morrison’s leather pants and handwritten lyrics to “L.A. Woman”; to Katy Perry’s sparkly dress and Fergie’s tour outfit worn while on tour with the Black Eyed Peas.

Love All – Serve All
Since it was established in 1971, Hard Rock has been committed to a wide variety of philanthropic causes and activities around the world, and Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard will carry this causal commitment to its market. In every Hard Rock city, the staff makes it a priority to become a valuable community partner. In the form of funds, food and beverage, merchandise and man hours, the Hollywood Boulevard cafe will give back locally, as well as participate in global corporate philanthropic initiatives, ranging from breast cancer awareness programs, to rock icons’ favorite causes through the annual Signature Series T-shirt program. These, as well as local live music events, will benefit local charities and partners like the GRAMMY Museum, Los Angeles Food Bank, Expedition Inspiration, RockSTAR Music Education and the Noreen Fraser Foundation.

About Hard Rock International
With a total of 166 venues in 52 countries, including 133 cafes and 14 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Pattaya, Bali, Macau, Penang and Singapore. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced in Punta Cana, scheduled to open in 2010; Panama, scheduled to open in 2012; and Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2013. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com.

For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.