Hard Rock Cafe to Reopen London Restaurants Under Newly Introduced “Safe + Sound” Programme

Hard Rock Cafe today announces it will reopen Hard Rock Cafe restaurants for Londoners on 4 July 2020, including the first and original Hard Rock Cafe London restaurant on Old Park Lane, and its European flagship Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus, which launched in September 2019.

London locals, including groups of maximum two households, will be invited to dine on fresh, high-quality items from Hard Rock Cafe’s menu recently revamped in 2019, which includes award-winning Steak Burgers such as The Original Legendary® Burger and The Big Cheeseburger. Additional guest favourites include items such as the Vegan Moving Mountains™ Burger, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Classic Wings, Golden Onion Rings and more.

Guests can book in advance via the Hard Rock Cafe website to enjoy the delicious American fare. Londoners seeking a spontaneous dining experience when out in the local area, can visit the restaurant where Hard Rock Cafe will strive to book them in dependent on availability.

Fans of the famous Hard Rock Cafe merchandise can now visit the Rock Shop at Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus from 1 July, with the Rock Shop on Old Park Lane reopening in line with the restaurant on 4 July 2020.

SAFE + SOUND
To help keep guests and team members safe, Hard Rock Cafe will implement “SAFE + SOUND”, its new reopening programme featuring guidelines developed in collaboration with leading worldwide health and sanitisation partners, including ECOSURE and NSF International, formerly known as the National Sanitation Foundation.

The “SAFE + SOUND” programme implements the highest of level of safety, sanitation, food handling and employee training. The internal programme is designed to complement and fully support the latest local and national government guidance, as well as incorporating Hard Rock Cafe’s additional safety precautions. As part of the new protocol for example, all guests and team members will be required to pass a state-of-the-art, non-intrusive thermal temperature screening process before entering each Hard Rock Cafe location.

Stephen K. Judge, President of Cafe Operations for Hard Rock International, said: “The health and safety of guests, team members and their families is, and has always been, Hard Rock’s highest priority. Over the past few months, Hard Rock Cafe worked tirelessly with our partners at ECOSURE and NSF International, as well as with local, state, federal and global public health agencies to develop the ‘SAFE + SOUND’ programme. As we continue to navigate this new way of life, we are committed to providing a safe and healthy dining environment for our guests and team members.”

Des Addis, General Manager at Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus, said: “Love All, Serve All is at the heart of our culture at Hard Rock Cafe, and this is exactly the sentiment we have taken in our plans to reopen, with a superior guest experience in mind. Guests can expect a very warm – but of course socially distanced – welcome back. This period hasn’t been easy on retailers, Hard Rock Cafe even celebrated our 49th birthday during lockdown this year – so we can’t wait to help the city get back on its feet again.”

In addition to the thermal temperature screening process, the “SAFE + SOUND” programme will also incorporate elements of government guidelines including, but not limited to the following:

• A dedicated ‘Clean Team’ in-restaurant, focusing on regularly sanitising all high-touch areas, including restrooms, tables, seating, menus and door handles
• Full sanitisation of the location each night
• Extensive employee training on COVID-19 precautionary measures
• Hand sanitation stations for guests and team members throughout the restaurants
• Mandatory facial covering/masks and gloves for all team members
• Menus (where allowed) utilising the latest in antibacterial coating, as well as contactless menu options
• Reduced capacity to factor in 2m social distancing rule
• Effective people flow with floor signage, as well as staff management of queues around entry and exit points
• Retail returns in the Rock Shops will be kept for 72 hours in a safe place off the shop floor

For additional information about Hard Rock Cafe, its new “SAFE + SOUND” programme and to find reopening dates for specific cities, visit www.hardrockcafe.com/.