A theme restaurant is a type of restaurant that uses theming to attract diners by creating a memorable experience. Theme restaurants have a unifying or dominant subject or concept, and utilize architecture , decor, special effects, and other techniques, often to create exotic environments that are not normally associated with dining because they are inaccessible, no longer exist, are fictional or supernatural, or taboo. The theme may be further extended through the naming and choices of food, though food is usually secondary to entertaining guests.
83-627: Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a chain of theme bar-restaurants , memorabilia shops, casinos and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London . In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia , a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2007, Hard Rock Cafe International (USA), Inc. was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida and was headquartered in Orlando, Florida , until April 2018, when
166-436: A brushed aluminum face plate with blue or red labels (depending the model) for the guitar and bass amplifiers became standard features, starting in late 1968. These first "silverface" amps added an aluminium trim detail around the speaker baffle until 1970. Other cosmetic changes included a new "tailless" Fender amp decal and a sparkling orange grillcloth on certain amplifiers in the mid-1970s. Regarding guitars, in mid-1971,
249-407: A "prison hospital" or "medical prison" (mental institution) theme, where guests were handcuffed and led to "cells" to eat. Various "shows" were put on by costumed staff to scare guests. It closed on May 31, 2018. Perhaps the most infamous modern theme restaurant is Cross Cafe , originally named Hitler's Cross, outside Mumbai , India . Opened in 2006, it included a swastika on its sign, which it
332-638: A 1,950-seat Hard Rock Live performance hall. In December 2021, Hard Rock purchased a casino on the Las Vegas Strip , The Mirage , from MGM Resorts for $ 1.075 billion. The deal closed in December 2022. The property will be completely renovated, but is permitted to keep using "The Mirage" name for up to 3 years. A new 36-story hotel tower in the shape of a guitar , like the one at the Seminole Hard Rock , will be added. After renovations,
415-471: A Delaware Bankruptcy Court to convert the filing to Chapter 7 triggering immediate liquidation of assets to pay off creditors, and closing the park. New owners renamed the venue Freestyle Music Park and planned to reopen retaining a music-theme, but without the Hard Rock name, by Memorial Day , 2009. The park only operated one additional year and then closed, due to poor attendance. In August 2016, it
498-599: A Hard Rock Cafe, live music venue, 90 foot tall replica of a Rick Nielson guitar, and will be a full-fledge Hard Rock Casino. In November 2019, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain opened adjacent to the Toyota Amphitheatre near Wheatland, California . Also in November, Hard Rock announced a new hotel in São Paulo , Brazil, in the heart of popular Paulista Avenue . In January 2021, it
581-623: A campaign initiated by then CBS Musical Instruments division president William Schultz (1926–2006), the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company employees purchased the company from CBS and renamed it "Fender Musical Instruments Corporation" (FMIC). The sale did not include the old Fullerton factory; FMIC had to build a new facility in nearby Corona. The vast majority of Fender guitars sold in 1985 were made in Japan. In 1987 Fender established
664-777: A cost of $ 750 million. The project added 875 rooms in two towers and expanded meeting space. In March 2011, Morgans surrendered control of the property to partner Brookfield Asset Management , citing the high debt on the property in the face of the economic downturn. In April 2018, the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas was sold to Richard Branson with plans to renovate the property under the Virgin Hotels brand; Virgin Hotels Las Vegas debuted in March 2021. Today,
747-511: A greater propensity toward mechanical failure of the guitars. During the CBS era, the company did introduce some new instrument and amplifier designs. The Fender Starcaster was particularly unusual because of its shallow, yet semi-hollow body design that still retained the traditional Fender bolt-on neck, albeit with a completely different headstock. The Starcaster also incorporated a new Humbucking pickup designed by Seth Lover , which became known as
830-407: A large inventory of Fender parts and unassembled guitars. However, the sale also led to a reduction of the quality of Fender's guitars while under the management of "cost-cutting" CBS. Several cosmetic changes occurred after 1965/1966, such as a larger headstock shape on certain guitars. Bound necks with block shaped position markers were introduced in 1966. A bolder black headstock logo, as well as
913-700: A location outside Walt Disney World in Florida in 1983. Now their "castles" are found across the United States and Canada. The original Hard Rock Cafe was founded in 1971 in London. In 1979, following the donation of guitars by Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend , the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia. Today, this pioneering theme restaurant chain has some 185 locations in 74 countries. Following Hard Rock Cafe's successful theme of exhibiting music memorabilia, Planet Hollywood extended
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#1732775926356996-692: A new hotel in Bogotá , Colombia, which will open in 2019. The company had plans to open in the biggest financial district in Colombia, the Centro Internacional , but it revised those plans. The hotel will be located in the exclusive Zona Rosa de Bogotá , home of luxury boutiques. In July 2019, Hard Rock International announced plans for a casino in Rockford, Illinois , about 75 miles west of Chicago along I-90 . Two other proposals were made for
1079-635: A number of instrument brands and firms, including the Guild Guitar Company , the Sunn Amplifier Company, and SWR Sound Corporation . In early 2003, FMIC reached an agreement with the Gretsch family and began manufacturing and distributing new Gretsch guitars. Fender also owns Jackson , Olympia, Orpheum, Tacoma Guitars , Squier , and Brand X amps. On October 28, 2007, Fender acquired Kaman Music Corporation , which owned
1162-584: A partnership with Clayton Orr "Doc" Kauffman , and they formed the K & F Manufacturing Corp to design, manufacture, and market electric instruments and amplifiers. Production began in 1945 with Hawaiian lap steel guitars like the "Champion" (incorporating a patented pickup) and amplifiers, sold as sets. By the end of the year, Fender became convinced that manufacturing was more profitable than repair, and decided to concentrate on that business instead. Kauffman remained unconvinced, and he and Fender amicably parted ways by early 1946. At that point, Fender renamed
1245-487: A relatively short period of time, in part by selling merchandise. Irish pubs and other similar ethnic restaurants that originated in a particular country but are now found around the world are considered theme restaurants by some, as they use theming to re-create an "authentic" experience. Modern restaurants date back to eighteenth century France. By the early nineteenth century, they had been introduced in America. In
1328-868: A second location was opened in Toronto , Canada. The chain began to expand worldwide in 1982 when Morton opened Hard Rock Cafes in Los Angeles , San Francisco , Chicago , Houston , and Tigrett opened locations in Jackson, Tennessee ,New York, Dallas, Boston, Washington, D.C., Orlando as well as Paris (opened in 1991, closed in 2024) and Berlin . Hard Rock Cafe locations in the US vary from smaller, more tourist-driven markets ( Biloxi , Pigeon Forge , Key West ) to large metropolises ( Philadelphia , Baltimore , New York City , Chicago, Boston , Washington, D.C. ). Hard Rock Cafe typically does not franchise cafe locations in
1411-506: A small manufacturing facility in Ensenada, Baja California , Mexico and in 1990 Fender and their Japanese partners FujiGen started guitar manufacturing in the city. Mexican Fenders appeared in the catalog from January 1991. The plant was rebuilt in 1994 after a fire. Player, Vintera and Acoustisonic models are now made there. In 1991, FMIC moved its corporate headquarters from its Corona location to Scottsdale, Arizona. In January 2020,
1494-664: Is an American manufacturer and marketer of musical instruments and amplifiers . Fender produces acoustic guitars , bass amplifiers and public address equipment; however, it is best known for its solid-body electric guitars and bass guitars , particularly the Stratocaster , Telecaster , Jaguar , Jazzmaster , Precision Bass , and the Jazz Bass . The company was founded in Fullerton, California , by Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender in 1946. Andy Mooney has served as
1577-794: Is owned by Twin River Management Group, Inc.) Opened on January 20, 2010, in Singapore at Sentosa , the Hard Rock Hotel at Resorts World Sentosa is owned by the Genting Group . The Hotel Zoso in Palm Springs, California was converted into a 160-room Hard Rock Hotel and opened in 2014. It subsequently closed. A location in Atlantic City, New Jersey was planned in 2010, but those plans were canceled in 2012; however, in 2017, they acquired from Icahn Enterprises
1660-518: Is titled Hard Rock Cafe. A café of that name in Los Angeles (now closed) is pictured on the back of the album. In 1977 album Simple Things , Carole King wrote the song Hard Rock Café. In her autobiography A Natural Woman, she reports that she was inspired by a bar in downtown Los Angeles and a small restaurant in Idaho with the same name. At the time, she was not aware of the similarity in name to
1743-724: The Class II slots already in operation. To win approval for the table games, which were barred under Florida law, the Seminole Tribe paid the State of Florida $ 100 million as part of a 25-year pact signed by Governor Charlie Crist . On July 3, 2008, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the governor's agreement was unconstitutional, but table games continue to operate because the Federal Department of
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#17327759263561826-613: The Fender Rhodes electric piano (until 1983). In addition, Fender produces effects pedals and picks . According to American guitar expert George Gruhn, the Fender Telecaster, Precision Bass, and Stratocaster are "three of the most important models in the history of the electric guitar", and were all introduced between 1950 and 1957. In 1953, Fender also introduced the Stringmaster, a double-pickup model which
1909-729: The Morgans Hotel Group , he also sold those naming rights, which then gave rise to two US franchised hotels (without cafes) in Albuquerque and Tulsa . (The Albuquerque hotel no longer pays for the Hard Rock rights and reverted to its former name in June 2013.) Additional casino hotels franchised from Morgan's were subsequently opened in Sioux City , Iowa and Vancouver , Canada. A Hard Rock Cafe exists in Empire, Colorado, which
1992-707: The Ovation Guitar Company , Latin Percussion and Toca hand percussion products, Gibraltar Hardware , Genz Benz Amplification, Charvel , Hamer Guitars , and is the exclusive U.S. sales representative for Sabian Cymbals and exclusive worldwide distributor of Takamine Guitars and Gretsch Drums . In 2011, Volkswagen partnered with Fender to manufacture premium sound systems for its vehicles in North America . Volkswagen vehicles in North America that offer optional Fender Premium Sound are
2075-658: The Precision Bass (P-Bass). In August 1954 Fender unveiled the Stratocaster ("Strat") guitar. With the Telecaster and Precision Bass having been on the market for some time, Leo Fender was able to incorporate input from working musicians into the Stratocaster's design. Following the Stratocaster's release, the Precision Bass received a major makeover, aligning it more with the Stratocaster as opposed to
2158-649: The Russian market. An April 28 2022 study by Yale University , intended to identify how companies were reacting to the invasion, placed Hard Rock Cafe in the "Buying Time" category, meaning "Holding Off New Investments/Development: companies postponing future planned investment/development/marketing while continuing substantive business". The only Hard Rock Cafe in Moscow was closed in October 2022. Theme restaurant Most restaurants have an inherent “theme” based on
2241-614: The Volkswagen Golf , Volkswagen Beetle , Volkswagen Jetta Sedan, Volkswagen Passat , and Volkswagen Tiguan . In February 2015, KMC was sold to Jam Industries by FMIC. In January 2019, Fender purchased the Bigsby Electric Guitar Company from its partner Gretsch.The subsidiary operates independently, and produces the popular Bigsby vibrato tailpiece as well as several Paul Bigsby -designed electric guitars. In November 2021, Fender purchased
2324-729: The Wide Range pickup. This pickup also gave rise to 3 new incarnations of the classic Telecaster: the Telecaster Custom , the Telecaster Deluxe and the Telecaster Thinline . Though more recent use by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead has raised the Starcaster's profile, CBS-era instruments are generally much less coveted or collectable than the "pre-CBS" models created by Leo Fender prior to selling
2407-464: The chief executive officer (CEO) since June 2015. In January 2020, Servco Pacific became the majority owner after acquiring the shares of TPG Growth. The company began as "Fender's Radio Service" in late 1938, in Fullerton, California . As a qualified electronics technician, Fender had repaired radios, phonographs, home audio amplifiers, public address systems and musical instrument amplifiers , all designs based on research developed and released to
2490-477: The Fender companies to CBS in 1965. In 1966 Fender opened a much a larger facility at 1300 S. Valencia Drive adjacent to the existing factory at 500 South Raymond Avenue. Guitar and amplifier production, which had already increased 30% in CBS's first year, soon increased another 45%. In 1981, CBS brought in new management: three executives, John McLaren, William "Bill" Schultz and Dan Smith. They were experienced in
2573-648: The Hard Rock Hotel near the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas , Nevada . A subsequent $ 100 million expansion in 1999 nearly doubled the hotel's capacity. In May 2006, Morton sold the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas to Morgans Hotel Group for $ 770 million, including the rights to the Hard Rock Hotel brand west of the Mississippi, including Texas , California, Australia, and Vancouver, British Columbia . The hotel began another expansion in 2007 at
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2656-606: The Interior approved the now-invalid pact with the state. A similar issue stemmed with sports betting in Florida under the Hard Rock Bet app. Through a new gaming compact, the Seminole Tribe began to offer off-grounds sports betting . Once live in 2021, lawsuits caused the Seminole Tribe to halt operations. Relaunching in November 2023 for returning players, the Seminole Tribe of Florida now operates online sports betting too. Side 1 of The Doors ' 1970 album Morrison Hotel
2739-666: The Jazz community, the guitar found a home in the growing surf rock music scene, one that would go on to influence the Jazzmaster's successor, the Jaguar in 1962. The Fender Jazz Bass was released in 1960, a year after the Jazzmaster. In January 1965, Leo Fender sold his companies to the Columbia Broadcasting System ( CBS ) for $ 13 million ($ 126 million in 2023 adjusted for inflation). CBS entered
2822-631: The Louisiana-based PreSonus Audio Electronics , a manufacturer of professional audio equipment and software. In June 2023, it announced a partnership with Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine (band) . Fender published the Fender Frontline magazine as a source of product, artist and technical data for the company's customers. The first half featured interviews and articles about the guitars and
2905-593: The Seminole Tribe of Florida for $ 965 million. Included in the deal were 124 Hard Rock Cafes, four Hard Rock Hotels, two Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hotels, two Hard Rock Live! concert venues, and stakes in three unbranded hotels. Rank retained the Hard Rock Casino in London, and rebranded it the G Casino Piccadilly. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas was also not part of the deal, as Peter Morton sold it to Morgans Hotel Group in May 2006. The final takeover
2988-1769: The Seminole Tribe of Florida owns and operates all units except the Sioux City, Tulsa, Biloxi, and Vancouver properties. In 2004, Hard Rock International and Sol Melia Hotels and Resorts launched Lifestar Hoteles España SL, a joint venture that intended to manage Europe's first Hard Rock Hotel in Madrid , but it was never opened as a Hard Rock property upon the dissolution of the joint venture in 2007. The other joint venture hotels are in Chicago, New York, and San Diego (the San Diego property includes Hard Rock condominiums). Hard Rock also operates hotels and resorts in Orlando, Florida (a joint venture with Loews Hotels ); Bali , Indonesia ; and Pattaya , Thailand , (a joint venture with Ong Beng Seng/Hotel Properties Limited). Hard Rock International continues to expand internationally (including hotels, casinos, resorts, and condominiums) through several joint ventures (Becker Ventures, Ong Beng Seng/Hotel Properties Limited and Loews Hotels), including hotels in Chicago, Bali, Orlando, Penang , San Diego, Singapore, and planned openings in Abu Dhabi, Cancun, Dubai, Hungary, Panama, Punta Cana and Puerto Vallarta, as well as hotel-casinos in Hollywood, Florida ; Tampa, Florida ; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Catoosa, Oklahoma , just northeast of Tulsa . (The Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi, MS
3071-535: The Swinger (also known as Musiclander) and Custom (also known as Maverick) were perceived by some musicians as little more than attempts to squeeze profits out of factory stock. The so-called "pre-CBS cult" refers to the popularity of Fenders made before the sale. After selling the Fender company, Leo Fender founded Music Man in 1975, and G&L Musical Instruments in 1979, both of which manufacture electric guitars and basses based on his later designs. In 1985, in
3154-584: The Telecaster. In 1959, Fender released the Jazzmaster guitar. Like the Stratocaster before it, the Jazzmaster was a radical departure from previous guitar designs. The offset body, vibrato system and innovative electronics were designed to capture the Jazz guitar market which until then was dominated by acoustic guitars. Fender even promoted the Jazzmaster as a premium successor to the Stratocaster , an accolade it never fully achieved. Despite being shunned by
3237-512: The United States such as Applebee's and Bennigan's , despite having distinct and consistent styles, are not usually considered theme restaurants, since they attract patrons primarily with the food they serve. While food is usually less important than experience, some theme restaurants use food to reinforce their themes. For example, restaurants themed to 1950s America frequently have jukeboxes from that era, but some also limit their menus to hamburgers and french fries, as would have been common at
3320-409: The United States. All U.S. cafes are corporate owned and operated, except for cafes in Tampa and in the (now closed) Four Winds New Buffalo casino. However, in the transition of the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel property, originally owned and then later sold to Rank by founder Peter Morton, Morton retained hotel naming rights west of the Mississippi . When Morton sold his Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel to
3403-426: The brand. In March 2007, the Seminole Tribe of Florida acquired Hard Rock Cafe International, Inc. and other related entities from Rank for US$ 965 million. In 2008, anonymous members of the wait staff in London criticized the business because of its practice of paying them less than half the official minimum wage in the UK, with the business allocating the tips to staff wages, thus bringing their salaries within
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3486-399: The chain's second location, leaving just two in that country, Niagara Falls, Ontario, and the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam, B.C. In Argentina, the first Hard Rock Cafe opened in 1995, located in Recoleta, Buenos Aires . In 2016, a location opened in Ushuaia , in the province of Tierra del Fuego, with another being opened in the city of Puerto Iguazu in 2024. In 2015, Hard Rock announced
3569-414: The city's lone casino license, but the city council only recommended the Hard Rock proposal to the Illinois Gaming Board, who will decide which site will get the license. The temporary casino, named Rockford Casino-A Hard Rock Opening Act, opened on November 10, 2021. It features a Rock Shop, Hard Rock memorabilia, slots, and two restaurants. The permanent casino is planned to open within two years and feature
3652-404: The closed Trump Taj Mahal , which in 2018 was reopened as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. All-inclusive resorts operate under the Hard Rock brand in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. In 2013, the Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park opened as a joint slot machine and track venture., near Cleveland, Ohio . Then in early 2019, it was announced that JACK Cincinnati Casino in Cincinnati
3735-495: The company the "Fender Electric Instrument Company". The service shop remained open until 1951, although Leo Fender did not personally supervise it after 1947. Leo Fender's lap steel guitar made in 1946 for Noel Boggs was probably the first product of the new company, bearing an early presentation of the cursive "big F" Fender logo. In the late 1940s, Fender began to experiment with more conventional guitar designs. Early Broadcasters were plagued with issues; while Fender boasted
3818-426: The company's UK arm, Fender Europe, was fined £4.5 million after admitting resale price maintenance (a form of price-fixing ) between 2013, and 2018, in breach of the United Kingdom's Competition Act 1998 . The Fender "spaghetti logo" was used by Fender from 1954 to the mid-1960s. By 1965 Fender used a transition logo which was a thicker gold-and-black logo (this logo is associated with CBS). FMIC has purchased
3901-495: The concept to movies in the 1990s, while adding celebrity endorsements and appearances at the restaurants. Steven Schussler came up with the idea for Rainforest Cafe , and actually turned his house into a model jungle to attract investors, before opening the first location in the Mall of America in 1994. Dozens of locations around the world quickly followed, and many new theme restaurant chains opened in hopes of copying Rainforest Cafe's success. The first 1950's themed restaurant
3984-437: The copycat guitars were coming from, even working with those companies. On March 11, 1982, Fender Japan Ltd. was founded. In 1983, the Fender Stratocaster received a short-lived redesign including a single ("master") tone control, a bare-bones pickguard-mounted output jack, redesigned single-coil pickups, active electronics, and three push buttons for pickup selection (on the Elite Series). Additionally, previous models such as
4067-461: The corporate offices were relocated to Davie, Florida . As of July 2018, Hard Rock International has venues in 74 countries, including 172 bar or cafe-restaurants, 37 hotels, and four casinos. The first Hard Rock Cafe opened on June 14, 1971, at 150 Old Park Lane, Hyde Park , London, under the ownership of two Americans, Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton . Hard Rock initially had an eclectic decor, but it later started to display memorabilia. In 1978,
4150-409: The desire by the average American to travel the Pacific. Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt opened Don the Beachcomber , generally recognized as the first tiki bar , in Los Angeles in the 1930s. Along with a neighbor, he collected old fishing nets, driftwood, and other ephemera from local beaches, and added bamboo and masks to theme his restaurant and evoke the South Pacific and Polynesian culture . Around
4233-419: The first Chuck E. Cheese's , opened in San Jose, California in 1977. The restaurant featured animatronic animals that Bushnell claims were inspired by the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. The North American theme restaurant chain Medieval Times was actually started on the small island of Mallorca, Spain in the 1970s. Jose Montaner put on his dinner show for years before attracting enough investors to open
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#17327759263564316-509: The food they served. This theming was largely a response to the growing usage of the automobile, as the buildings themselves became advertisements aimed at passing motorists. Beginning in the 1920s, a number of novelty architecture buildings were constructed in and around Hollywood, including the famous Brown Derby restaurants and Bulldog Cafe. Restaurants such as Clifton's Cafeteria also started playing with grand decorations based on non-traditional "kitschy" themes, and movies helped fuel
4399-427: The instrument's body and neck to be milled and finished separately, and for the final assembling to be done quickly and cheaply by unskilled workers. In 1950, Fender introduced the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar , the Telecaster ("Tele") (originally named the Broadcaster for two-pickup models and Esquire for single-pickup). Following its success, Fender created the first mass-produced electric bass ,
4482-529: The interviews and features section, and Frontline became an annual illustrated price list until 2006, when it was replaced with a product guide. Fender's core product are electric guitars, namely the Jaguar , Jazzmaster , Mustang , Telecaster , Stratocaster , Duo-Sonic , Meteora, and Jag-Stang . This is alongside bass guitars in the Mustang , Jaguar , Jazz , Precision and Meteora models. Fender also manufactures acoustic guitars, lap steel guitars , banjos , electric violins , guitar/bass amplifiers and
4565-478: The late 1800s, restaurants began using theming to differentiate themselves from increasing competition. In the 1890s, at least three different elaborately themed nightclubs were operating in Paris, using themes of death , hell , and heaven . Similar restaurants soon opened in New York City. In the early twentieth century, so-called “programmatic” or “mimetic” style structures became popular for restaurants, including buildings shaped like vehicles, animals, and even
4648-638: The many parks built across the United States and around the world following Disneyland's success. As theming became more popular, the word was applied to other types of attractions, including "theme restaurant" and "themed hotels." David Tallichet took inspiration from Disneyland when he opened his first theme restaurant The Reef in Long Beach, California. His company went on to open dozens of restaurants, with themes ranging from New England fishing villages and French farmhouses to aviation and World War II . Another fan of Disneyland, Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell , integrated food, entertainment, and an arcade into
4731-546: The minimum wage requirements. Most customers, it was argued, do not realize that they are subsidizing a low wage when they give the tip. HRC is known for its collection of rock-and-roll memorabilia. The cafes solicit 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 cafe walls. The collection began in 1979 with an un-signed Red Fender Lead II guitar from Eric Clapton , who
4814-408: The music industry, having previously worked for Yamaha Musical Instruments. They needed to deal with quality control issues, so the Fender Fullerton plant was virtually shut down in order to revamp manufacturing. Fender was also struggling to fight against lower cost copycat guitars on the market. They needed to manufacture the guitars somewhere else, so decided to move production to Japan, where some of
4897-567: The musical instruments field by acquiring the Fender companies (Fender Sales, Inc., Fender Electric Instrument Company, Inc., Fender Acoustic Instrument Company, Inc., Fender-Rhodes, Inc., Terrafen, Inc., Clef-Tronix, Inc., Randall Publishing Co., Inc., and V.C. Squier Company ), as well as Electro-Music Inc. ( Leslie speakers ), Rogers drums , Steinway pianos, Gemeinhardt flutes, Lyon & Healy harps, Rodgers (institutional) organs, and Gulbransen home organs. The sale enabled CBS to bring in money and personnel who assembled and put to market
4980-466: The origin or type of cuisine served. Many restaurants have a distinct style of decor, and create a specific ambiance for the comfort of their clientele. Some have a unique location or are housed in a unique building. But not all restaurants are considered theme restaurants. Diners choose restaurants first and foremost based on type of food. Conversely, theme restaurants attract customers primarily by promising unique experiences. Popular chain restaurants in
5063-502: The plan is to reopen the hotel under the name Hard Rock Las Vegas in 2027. In March 2006, Hard Rock Cafe International announced that it had licensed the "Hard Rock" name to HRP Myrtle Beach Operations, LLC, to design, build, and operate a $ 400 million 150-acre (0.61 km) theme park called Hard Rock Park. Hard Rock Park opened on April 15, 2008, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina . The park was expected to draw an estimated 30,000 visitors per day, promised to create more than 3,000 jobs, and
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#17327759263565146-438: The popularity of nostalgia by using theming to immerse guests in their favorite programs and movies. Many theme restaurants create environments that are considered exotic because they are largely inaccessible to much of the public (such as rainforests and remote tropical islands), or no longer exist (because they are set in a past time period). However, some use subjects that are supernatural or taboo, and thus controversial. From
5229-414: The public domain by Western Electric in the 1930s, using vacuum tubes for amplification. The business also sidelined in carrying records for sale and the rental of company-designed PA systems. Leo became intrigued by design flaws in contemporary musical instrument amplifiers and began building amplifiers based on his own designs or modifications to designs. By the early 1940s, Leo Fender had entered into
5312-453: The restaurant chain. HRC founders Morton and Tigrett were allegedly inspired to give the name by the same bar in Los Angeles. Olivia Molina sang the German version of the song. Until February 2017, there was a café in Heidelberg called Hard Rock Café, but it did not belong to the group; after a series of court cases, the restaurant had to change its name. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , Hard Rock Cafe refused to withdraw from
5395-531: The same time, another archetypal bar, Trader Vic's , was created by Victor Bergeron in Oakland, California. Tiki culture became very popular in 1950s America, and Polynesian themed restaurants had spread to London by the early 1960s, and further into Europe and Asia by the 1970s. Though not the first theme park , the opening of Disneyland in 1955 popularized the idea of an amusement park combining multiple named areas (“lands”) with different themes. The term "theme park" came into use circa 1960, likely to describe
5478-481: The stars who played them, and the second half was a catalog section. Fender published 27 issues of the magazine from 1990 through 2000. Notable interviewees included Kurt Cobain in Fall 1994, in what was his last interview. Fender had designed a hybrid guitar for Cobain, known as a Jag Stang. Other notable interviews featured Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour , Glenn Hughes from Deep Purple , and King Crimson 's Adrian Belew . In 2001, Fender eliminated
5561-415: The strength of the instrument's one-piece maple neck, early adopters lamented its tendency to bow in humid weather. Fender's reluctant addition of a metal truss rod into the necks of his guitars allowed for the much needed ability to fine-tune the instrument to the musician's specific needs. With the design of the Telecaster finalized, mass production began in 1950. The Telecaster's bolted-on neck allowed for
5644-406: The time. The food at theme restaurants is often common in order to have broad appeal, but may be given colorful names to further the theme. For example, the Planet Hollywood in London offers specialty cocktails named after movies. In some cases, customers may visit a theme restaurant only to shop or be entertained, without intending to eat. Theme restaurants have the potential for high profits in
5727-432: The usual four-bolt neck joint was changed to one using only three bolts, and a second string tree for the two middle (G and D) strings was added in late 1972. These changes were said to have been made to save money: while it suited the new 'improved' micro-tilt adjustment of the neck (previously requiring neck removal and shimming), the "Bullet" truss rod system, and a 5-way pickup selector on most models, it also resulted in
5810-479: The very beginning, restaurants in Paris, New York and San Francisco attracted bohemian artists and writers with themes including assassination, imprisonment, death, and hell. More recently, the Modern Toilet Restaurant chain in Asia, and the similar but short-lived Magic Restroom Café in California offered diners the opportunity not only to sit on toilets while dining, but to also be served dishes in miniature toilet bowls. The Alcatraz E.R. restaurant in Japan used
5893-441: The world. Marquee pieces from the collection were briefly displayed in a Hard Rock museum named "The Vault" in Orlando, Florida from January 2003 until September 2004. After the closure, items were distributed to various restaurant locations. The London Vault remains open and free to visitors, located in the retail Rock Shop of the original cafe. The Hard Rock Café is also in possession of a Bedford VAL three axle coach. The vehicle
5976-713: Was Cafe 50's created by Craig Martin. In 1983 he opened Cafe 50's in Venice Beach, then Sherman Oaks, Hermosa Beach and lastly West LA, which is still open. California But by the late 1990s, dozens of theme restaurants closed, including entire chains, as the market became saturated and the novelty wore off. Today, though smaller than at its peak, the industry has rebounded, in part as Millennials turn to themed restaurants for dining entertainment. The popularity of social media platforms like Instagram has pushed restaurants to theme their physical spaces to inspire photographers. Temporary pop-up restaurants and bars are capitalizing on
6059-425: Was a regular at the first restaurant in London. Clapton wanted management to hang the guitar over his regular seat in order to lay claim to that spot, and they obliged. This prompted Pete Townshend of The Who to give one of his guitars, also un-signed with the note "Mine's as good as his! Love, Pete." Hard Rock's archive includes over 80,000 items, and is the largest private collection of Rock and Roll memorabilia in
6142-480: Was announced that Hard Rock will be opening a new hotel in London, Ontario , Canada, with a 353-room hotel slated to finish construction in 2025. It will be located in the 100 Kellogg Lane complex. In May 2021, a $ 300 million Hard Rock Casino location opened in Gary, Indiana about 35 minutes east of Chicago. Branded as Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, the location includes memorabilia from local natives Jackson 5 and
6225-489: Was billed as the largest single investment in South Carolina's history. It planned to feature a large concert arena and six zones with more than 40 attractions. HRP Myrtle Beach Operations, LLC, filed for Chapter 11 on September 25, 2008. The company hoped to re-open in 2009 after restructuring. On January 2, 2009, after failing to attract a buyer with a minimum $ 35 million bid for over two months, Hard Rock Park asked
6308-505: Was completely refurbished . It is currently displayed in the US, but makes regular appearances in events in the UK, especially at the original Hard Rock Cafe in London. In 2001, a competition was run to win the bus, but it was never given away and remained with the cafe. On June 10, 2021, Hard Rock announced Lionel Messi as its Hard Rock brand ambassador as the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 1995, Peter Morton spent $ 80 million to open
6391-402: Was established in 1934 that is not part of the chain. In 1990, The Rank Group , a London-based leisure company, acquired Mecca Leisure Group and continued expansion of the concept in its geographic territory. Rank went on to purchase Hard Rock America from Peter Morton as well as Hard Rock Canada from Nick Bitove. After the completion of these acquisitions, Rank gained worldwide control of
6474-615: Was known as the Corel Centre. The café closed on August 8, 2002, and was replaced with the Frank Finnigan 's restaurant. Since October 17, 2013, the restaurant is known as Chek Point, and is sponsored by SportChek . The Hard Rock Club bar was announced on October 9, 2018, and opened near the former Hard Rock Café. The bar features memorabilia from over a dozen artists, restaurant-style seating, and dedicated stadium seating. On December 7, 2006, Rank sold its Hard Rock business to
6557-674: Was mired in controversy, due to a payment clause in a contract with one casino developer, Power Plant Entertainment. Power Plant and the Seminoles announced a settlement in April 2007 which both sides called equitable. On January 8, 2007, Rank shareholders approved the Seminoles' $ 965 million offer. The Tribe announced it had finalized the deal on March 11, 2007. On June 22, 2008, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood began "Vegas-style" table gambling in addition to
6640-564: Was popular with western swing steel-guitar players. Fender manufactures and distributes all musical instruments sold under the EVH brand, including Custom Shop models and replicas of the Frankenstrat . Squier was a string manufacturer that Fender acquired. Fender has used the Squier brand since 1982 to market inexpensive variants of Fender guitars to compete with Stratocaster copies, as
6723-591: Was quickly forced to remove. The owner was seemingly unaware of The Holocaust , and claimed only to have wanted a "catchy name." Still, the original restaurant had very little theming beyond the name and logo, apparently limited to a large portrait of Adolf Hitler , and in its current form it would not be considered a theme restaurant. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation 33°38′46″N 111°53′57″W / 33.6460322°N 111.899058°W / 33.6460322; -111.899058 The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation ( FMIC , or simply Fender )
6806-611: Was reported that the Miami Dolphins ' stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida would be renamed Hard Rock Stadium . Super Bowl LIV was held there on February 2, 2020. The Hard Rock Club is a sponsored bar at the Canadian Tire Centre , with Hard Rock branding and memorabilia. The stadium formerly housed Ottawa's first Hard Rock Café when it opened as The Palladium on January 15, 1996, and for many years when it
6889-515: Was sold for $ 745 million to Vici Properties and Hard Rock International , with Vici acquiring the land and buildings for $ 558 million and Hard Rock buying the operating business for $ 187 million. Hard Rock would lease the casino from Vici for $ 43 million per year, and would rebrand it as Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati. Canada had numerous restaurants but many of them closed, notably the one at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto in May 2017, which had been
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