Hard Rock Cafe Closing Outlets Across India
Parent company Hard Rock International announced it had terminated its agreement with JSM Corporation who operated 10 venues in seven cities
Rock band Spacebar performs at Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru in 2019.
It’s arguably the end of an era with the announcement that Hard Rock Cafe’s India outlets will be closing soon, following an announcement by Hard Rock International that it had terminated its deals with the India franchise holder JSM Corporation Pvt Ltd.
While there’s no timeline mentioned, the statement from Hard Rock International noted that 10 outlets in seven cities – including Hard Rock Cafe Bengaluru, Bengaluru Int. Airport, Bengaluru Whitefield, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Hyderabad Hitech City, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune – will be closing.
“Hard Rock International has formally terminated its agreements with JSM Corporation Pvt Ltd. and related entities covering the right to operate all Hard Rock Cafes and Rock Shops within India,” the company statement said. It clarified that “The Hard Rock Hotel in Goa will remain open and is not connected to this operator.” No reason has been provided for the termination and it is unclear if operations will be handed over to another Indian company.
The news will mark the end of a mainstay venue in several cities, although Hard Rock Cafe outlets often relied on cover bands, tribute nights and DJs more than independent artists. The Bengaluru outlet on St. Marks Road, for example, was opened in 2007 and hosted the likes of Thermal And A Quarter, Girish And The Chronicles and several more over nearly two decades.
Newer outlets like Chennai survived through floods, while cities like Guwahati (which shut recently), Kolkata and Chandigarh founded a much-needed stage through Hard Rock Cafe.
It was 2018 that Hard Rock Cafe’s first ever India outlet in Worli, Mumbai, was shut after 12 years in operation. During that time, it played host to a variety of music that made up India’s live landscape – from the televised band competition Channel [V] Launchpad to international rock favorites like Switchfoot, Wolfmother and Canadian indie pop duo Tegan & Sara. Rising bands like The Local Train and Agam played to full houses in their formative years, while veteran acts like Pentagram and Parikrama too found a home at Hard Rock Cafes across the country. Hard Rock Cafe did spring up in Andheri and Navi Mumbai over the years, but also shut down, reflecting uncertainties in operating in the food and beverage space in India.
