Hard Rock Cafe for Auckland

The New Zealand Herald is reporting that the celebrated Hard Rock Cafe is to open a franchise in Auckland on the site of the former Kermadec Restaurant in the Viaduct. Hard Rock Cafe has over 150 outlets in 50 countries offering southern-style American cuisine amid decor featuring rock memorabilia. The company's only previous outlet in New Zealand was in Queenstown, but closed in 2004. A similar concept, Planet Hollywood, was a key tenant in the Metro Centre in Auckland's Queen Street when it first opened, but lasted only a short time. With casual dining concepts now on the rise in New Zealand (see next issue of Franchise New Zealand magazine), not to mention the success of Lorde's music overseas, perhaps the time has come. There is no confirmation yet who the local franchisee will be.