Draft:Hard Rock International

Hard Rock International (HRI) is an American hospitality and entertainment company most known for its Hard Rock Cafe brand. Owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida since 2007, HRI grew from a restaurant established by American businessmen Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett in London in 1971.

In 2016, the tribe consolidated control over the Hard Rock brand by acquiring Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, which operated 23 hotels and resorts, approximately 160 restaurants, and other venues in approximately 71 countries at the time. Since then, HRI has expanded to operate more than 35 hotels and casinos, 200 restaurants, and other venues.

Based in Florida, HRI ranked number 98 on Forbes' 2023 list of the largest privately held companies in the United States. The music-themed company has an extensive memorabilia collection with approximately 86,000 pieces and operates a record label, among other business ventures. James F. Allen is the chairperson.

Operations
Headquartered in Florida, privately held company Hard Rock International (HRI) operates approximately 240 restaurants, approximately 35 hotels and casinos, and event venues in more than 70 countries. The business has been owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida since 2007. In 2023, HRI ranked number 98 on Forbes' list of the largest private companies in the U.S.

Most known for its Hard Rock Cafe brand, the music-themed company has hosted a Battle of the Bands contest (Hard Rock Rising), launched a record label in 2012, and owns an extensive memorabilia collection with approximately 86,000 pieces. James F. Allen is the chairperson, as well as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Seminole Gaming. HRI ranked number 362 in Forbes' 2023 list of the world's best employers.

In 2024, HRI launched a loyalty program with an advertising campaign featuring Noah Kahan performing a cover version of "Come Together" (1969) by The Beatles, as well as John Legend, Lionel Messi, and Shakira. The company also operates a charitable organization called the Hard Rock Heals Foundation.

Background


American businessmen Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett opened the first Hard Rock restaurant in London in 1971. By 2006, the company was operating 124 restaurants in 45 countries, as well as at seven hotels, two casinos, and two event venues. The business had approximately 7,000 employees then, and claimed to own the world's largest rock memorabilia collection. Hamish Dodds was the president and CEO.

In 2004, the Seminole Tribe of Florida opened Hard Rock properties in Hollywood and Tampa. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa generated approximately 30 percent of Hard Rock's profits by 2006.

Purchase and consolidation by the Seminole Tribe of Florida


In December 2006, the Seminole announced the purchase of HRI from Rank Group of Britain for $965 million. The transaction, completed in 2007, was the tribe's largest venture into gambling since entering the industry in 1979, as well as one of the largest purchases ever by a Native American tribe. The deal included approximately 100 restaurants, seven hotels, two casinos, and two concert venues. It was financed with equity as well as debt issued by a new operating company with control of Hard Rock, and excluded two properties held by Morton: the Hard Rock Casino in London and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The tribe focused on diversifying revenue sources and expanding into casinos, hotels, and resorts.

In 2016, the tribe consolidated control over the Hard Rock brand by acquiring Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, which operated 23 hotels and resorts, approximately 160 restaurants, and other venues in approximately 71 countries. The tribe also acquired casino and hotel-casino rights in the Western U.S., as well as Australia, Brazil, Israel, Venezuela, and Vancouver. BREF HR, LLC affiliates sold the rights but continued to own and operate the hotel in Las Vegas, while HRI acquired licensing control of properties in Lake Tahoe, Sioux City, Tulsa, and Vancouver, as well as memorabilia. With the Hard Rock brand consolidated by a single controlling ownership for the first time in 35 years, HRI was "exclusively entitled to develop, own, license, franchise, and manage Hard Rock Casinos and Hotel-Casinos".

In 2018, the company's headquarters were relocated from Orlando to within a mile of the tribe's headquarters. HRI had over 200 properties in 74 countries at the time. The tribe had purchased the 100,000-square-foot, two-story building in 2014. In 2020, HRI acquired all rights for the Hard Rock brand within the Las Vegas market. According to Native News Online, the deal with Juniper Capital allowed HRI to "develop, own, license, manage or operate a Hard Rock-branded casino and resort in Las Vegas and the surrounding Cook County, where it had previously been barred from using the brand". The deal also included intellectual property, memorabilia, merchandise, and signage. In 2020, HRI owned or licensed 262 venues in 76 countries, and had a music memorabilia collection with approximately 83,000 pieces.

Music memorabilia


HRC is known for its collection of rock-and-roll memorabilia. The cafes solicit donations of music memorabilia but also purchase a number of items at auctions around the world, including autographed guitars, costumes from world tours and rare photographs; these are often to be found mounted on cafe walls. The collection began in 1979 with an un-signed Red Fender Lead II guitar from Eric Clapton, who was a regular at the first restaurant in London. Clapton wanted management to hang the guitar over his regular seat in order to lay claim to that spot, and they obliged. This prompted Pete Townshend of The Who to give one of his guitars, also un-signed with the note "Mine's as good as his! Love, Pete." Hard Rock's archive includes over 80,000 items, and is the largest private collection of Rock and Roll memorabilia in the world. Marquee pieces from the collection were briefly displayed in a Hard Rock museum named "The Vault" in Orlando, Florida from January 2003 until September 2004. After the closure, items were distributed to various restaurant locations.

The Hard Rock Café is also in possession of a Bedford VAL three axle coach used in the 1967 Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour. The vehicle was completely refurbished after filming. It is currently displayed in the US, but makes regular appearances in events in the UK, especially at the original Hard Rock Cafe in London. In 2001, a competition was run to win the actual bus, but it was never given away and remained with the cafe. On June 10, 2021, Hard Rock announced Lionel Messi as its Hard Rock brand ambassador as the company celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Hard Rock Live


Hard Rock Live (HRL) is the brand name of various Hard Rock performance venues that date back to the 1990s with its first locations in Mexico City and Bali. Hard Rock had a VH1 television program of the same name in the 1990s, and opened its first HRL location in the U.S. in 1999. The Orlando location was opened on the property of Universal Studios with a capacity of 2,500. The venue's grand opening included a performance from Elton John and the event raised $1 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Hard Rock and Ocean casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, opened in 2018 with a HRL venue. The HRL venue at Etess Arena, named after former president and chief operating officer of the Trump Taj Mahal Mark Etess, has a 7,000-seat capacity. In October 2019, HRL opened a $120 million, 7,000-seat venue in Hollywood, Florida. In 2020, a venue previously called "The Joint: Tulsa" reopened as HRL next to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa.

HRL introduced a location at Hard Rock Casino in Gary, Indiana, in 2021. The following year, another HRL location opened in Wheatland, California. This venue is attached to a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and serves the Sacramento area. It is owned by the Enterprise Rancheria tribe and can also be used for trade shows, charity events and crisis relief. Hard Rock broke ground on a new hotel and casino with HRL in Rockford, Illinois. There are also HRL venues in Biloxi, Mississippi, Las Vegas and Santo Domingo, as of 2020.

Stadiums
In August 2016, it was reported that the Miami Dolphins' stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida would be renamed Hard Rock Stadium. Super Bowl LIV was held there on February 2, 2020.

The Hard Rock Club is a sponsored bar at the Canadian Tire Centre, with Hard Rock branding and memorabilia. The stadium formerly housed Ottawa's first Hard Rock Café when it opened as The Palladium on January 15, 1996, and for many years when it was known as the Corel Centre. The café closed on August 8, 2002, and was replaced with the Frank Finnigan's restaurant. Since October 17, 2013, the restaurant is known as Chek Point, and is sponsored by SportChek. The Hard Rock Club bar was announced on October 9, 2018, and opened near the former Hard Rock Café. The bar features memorabilia from over a dozen artists, restaurant-style seating, and dedicated stadium seating.