Hard Rockin' Indianapolis! Hard Rock Cafe to Open Spring of '99 At Morrison Opera Place in Downtown Indianapolis. ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 1998--Hard Rock Cafe, the global music entertainment company and original theme restaurant chain, has announced plans to open in downtown Indianapolis at the Morrison Opera Place in the spring of '99. The company will reveal grand opening plans for the newest world-famous eatery at a later date. "Hard Rock Cafe Indianapolis will be like no other in the world," said Jim Berk, president and CEO of Hard Rock Cafe International Inc. "We are extremely pleased to be a part of an area that has undergone an amazing evolution and is thriving culturally. We look forward to bringing our unique flavor of rock `n' roll to this mix."
The world-renowned Hard Rock Cafe will encompass 7,967 square feet with restaurant seating for 244 -- 174 total indoor dining, 40 outdoor dining and 30 in the bar area. The restaurant will also feature a function room, centerpiece stage and a full-service merchandise shop featuring Hard Rock Cafe's famous logo T-shirt, hats, jackets and more collected by Hard Rockers throughout the world. "Downtown Indianapolis welcomes Hard Rock Cafe, one of the world's most recognizable restaurant concepts. Hard Rock claims a hot location in a dynamic, rapidly growing entertainment market. With more than $700 million of new downtown projects, we predict success!" said Tamara Zahn, president of Indianapolis Downtown Inc. The Hard Rock Cafe Indianapolis will offer the trademark high-quality, American-style food with moderate pricing and friendly, efficient service -- all in a rock `n' roll music-themed atmosphere -that millions have come to expect from Hard Rock during the last 28 years. Adding to the entertainment dining experience will be the display of wall-to-wall rock `n' roll memorabilia from an extensive 52,000-plus-piece Hard Rock collection that was touted by Andy Warhol as being the "Smithsonian of Rock `n' Roll." Items culled from rock `n' roll culture past and present adorn the walls of Hard Rock Cafes worldwide, with the Indianapolis location housing hundreds of unique music memorabilia pieces. Beyond dining, Hard Rock Cafe has developed a reputation for public service and has been recognized for its commitment to humanitarian causes and issues. With a "Save The Planet" philosophy, Hard Rock Cafe locations worldwide have produced concerts and other events on a regular basis to benefit worthwhile causes.