Seattle’s Hard Rock Cafe to permanently close Dec. 1
Oct 3, 2023, 12:10 PM | Updated: 12:14 pm
The outside of Hard Rock Hotel is seen on April 14, 2023 in New York City. (Photo: Dave Kotinsky, Getty Images for MTV)
(Photo: Dave Kotinsky, Getty Images for MTV)
Seattle’s Hard Rock Cafe will permanently close Dec. 1, according to multiple media outlets, including KIRO 7.
The Labor Department’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) also noted a filing received Monday stating a closure by Hard Rock International (USA), Inc. that will take place Dec. 1. The agency’s website states 66 employees will be affected.
Hard Rock International provided a statement confirming the news of the closure. A spokesperson confirmed to KIRO 7 the company is open to having another location in Seattle if the right one can be found.
The Hard Rock Cafe Seattle originally opened in 2010, on Pike Street, a block from the Pike Place Market. The Puget Sound Business Journal notes the company’s closure leaves “a sizable retail vacancy in an area that brokers say has recovered more quickly than others in the city, given the steady foot traffic passing through nearby Pike Place Market.”
“Hard Rock International has enjoyed serving the Seattle community and playing a role in the city’s celebrated dining culture,” the restaurant group said in a statement, according to the Journal.
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Americans Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett established the first Hard Rock Cafe in London in 1971, the Hard Rock International website states. The way the story is told is the two Americans opened the restaurant in a Rolls Royce dealership because they “just wanted to find a good American burger while living in London.” The first U.S. location opened in Los Angeles in 1982.
In 2004, the Seminole Tribe opened two Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos in Florida. The tribe then went on to acquire Hard Rock International in 2007.
The company states it has venues in “over 74 countries, including cafes, casinos and hotels.” The firm’s website also notes Hard Rock locations are known for their “collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, memorable dining experiences.” In its statement, the company said it is currently expanding operations and will continue to do so over the next five years, KIRO 7 reported.
