Push Admin

Night out: Hard Rock Cafe rocks on at S Maison

Article (news)

Angelo G. Garcia

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/01/18/cafe-1.jpg"/><figcaption>The new Hard Rock Cafe Manila is located at the second floor of S Maison mall in Pasay City. <em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- In 2017, one of the most iconic American restaurant-bars Hard Rock Cafe Manila closed its doors to the public. But in the last quarter of 2018, The Bistro Group announced that it&#x27;s reviving the brand. </p><p>“It used to be under a Singaporean company. This company handles different countries but I think the principal wanted somebody that is really local that can run the store. It&#x27;s different when you have a local company that has a good grasp of the market, that can really take care of the brand,” explained Rommel Turbanos, vice president for operations of The Bistro Group. </p><p>The restaurant group has been successfully running franchises of well-known American brands in the country like TGI Friday&#x27;s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Denny&#x27;s, Texas Roadhouse, and most recently Red Lobster. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/01/18/cafe-2.jpg"/><figcaption>The spacious interiors of Hard Rock Cafe Manila with the stage at the center and the music memorabila at the left. <em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Turbanos admitted that they have been eyeing the brand for a few years now as they feel it would be a good addition to their portfolio. </p><p>“We&#x27;ve been in talks with them several years back. We were looking at the opportunity to bring Hard Rock to complete our portfolio. We&#x27;ve been a believer of the brand every time we go aborad, our chairman and president would bring us to different Hard Rock Cafes and we&#x27;re quite inspired and we feel that it&#x27;s a good fit for our market,” he said. </p><div><strong>MORE THAN NOSTALGIA</strong></div><p>The new Hard Rock Cafe Manila is located at the second floor of S Maison mall at Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. It&#x27;s a 223-seater restaurant with a lot more room and a stage for live performers. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/01/18/cafe-3.jpg"/><figcaption>A Hard Rock Cafe is not complete without its merchandise. <em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>The merchandise section is situated at the entrance area, displaying exclusive Hard Rock Cafe Manila products. </p><p>The interiors is spacious and like other Hard Rock Cafes around the world, rock and roll memorabilia are displayed on the walls. This branch houses one of Elvis Presley&#x27;s red jackets and a sparkly rhinestone covered Stevie Nicks top, among others. </p><p>The restaurant&#x27;s famous motto “Save the planet,” “All is one,” and “Love all serve all” are plastered all over the space. The cymbal lighting fixture is a nice touch to the music-themed restaurant. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/01/18/cafe-4.jpg"/><figcaption>Classic Rock band Ice Bucket is one of the regular performers at Hard Rock Cafe Manila. <em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>The brand is famous for people who grew up in the &#x27;80s and &#x27;90s, making it somewhat a hangout spot for titos and titas. But Hard Rock Cafe Manila is making sure that the brand also caters to the younger generations by opening its stage to bands performing various genres of music.<br/> <br/>“We play different genres (of music) like the &#x27;80s, &#x27;90s, R&amp;B, pop, etc. Zia Quizon and Exploration band played here. That&#x27;s what we&#x27;re doing in the entertainment side of the business for us to be able to attract a wider market base,” Turbanos said.</p><div><strong>WIDER, FLEXIBLE MENU</strong></div><p>What The Bistro Group is most confident about is the food and the service. Its many years of experience in the restaurant industry gives them the edge. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/01/18/cafe-5.jpg"/><figcaption>Hard Rock Cafe&#x27;s hickory smoked ribs. <em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>“This brand has become so flexible now. We have the core menu from the US like the ribs, burger, smokehouse, but they created a segment of the menu called Rock the Wok, it&#x27;s an Asian cuisine inspired menu. You have the beef rendang, Korean chicken wings, our local tokwa&#x27;t baboy, sisg, crispy pata so we can able to connect to our local market,” he shared. </p><p>The new branch still carries the old favorites like the Original Legendary Burger and the hickory smoked ribs. There&#x27;s also new items like the Filipino bar chow-inspired, sisig burger. And of course, a long list of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.</p><p>Turbanos said they are planning to open more Hard Rock Cafes in the country and are looking at various parts of Metro Manila and in Cebu. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/life/01/18/cafe-6.jpg"/><figcaption>Hard Rock Cafe Manila&#x27;s Sisig Burger. <em>Handout</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>“In the past they say, one Hard Rock Cafe per country but recently they see the opportunity [to expand] so they are now looking at multiple stores. You have one flagship store as big as this one, then eventually you&#x27;ll be able to open 350 to 400 sq.m. smaller ones maybe one in Makati or BGC or QC or Manila, then one provincial store. We&#x27;re looking at potentially Cebu,” he said. </p>

<p>The new Hard Rock Cafe Manila is located at the second floor of S Maison mall at Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.</p>

The new Hard Rock Cafe Manila is located at the second floor of S Maison mall at Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.