Hard Rock Cafe Closing Outlets Across India

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.

Update: JSM Corporation responded with a statement posted across its Hard Rock Cafe India social media handles on Mar. 17, 2026. It said, “For 22 years, we have proudly built and nurtured the Hard Rock Cafe brand in India, with the support of our dedicated employees, partners, and millions of loyal customers. We are therefore deeply shocked and saddened by the recent unilateral announcement made by Hard Rock International suggesting that our operations in India are shut and that we are not entitled to run the business.”

The Indian company said the statement by Hard Rock International “has been issued without proper consultation or regard for a partnership that has spanned more than two decades.” While pledging to remain open, JSM Corporation added, “We are currently reviewing the situation and evaluating all legal and contractual remedies available to us. Our priority remains the people who built this business with us, our employees, partners, and customers in India.”

An additional press statement adds, “The JSM Group clarifies that Hard Rock Cafes in India will continue to operate as usual pending any binding order of a court of appropriate jurisdiction to the contrary.”