After years of opening and closing Hard Rock Cafe outlets on both sides of the harbour, the themed restaurant chain will return to Hong Kong with a new home at the top of Lan Kwai Fong.
Taking over the space at LKF Tower occupied by The Cavern club and bar and the Hong Kong Brew House, Hard Rock Cafe will bring its collection of music memorabilia and American fare to the entertainment hub.
From August, the area will also see the redevelopment of the California Entertainment Building and California Tower, both 12-storeys high, over two years into a single 24-storey tower featuring outdoor terraces and rooftop gardens.
Lan Kwai Fong has experienced shifting dynamics over the years, from the early days of the original 1997 eatery to more recent efforts to reinvent the L-shaped street as more upmarket, yet populist.
But Rhys Adams, marketing director for the Hong Kong Brew House, questioned the move.
He said: 'Hard Rock Cafe is the wrong concept to bring to Lan Kwai Fong. Hard Rock Cafe is a family-style American restaurant. Lan Kwai Fong built its reputation as a place for adults to drink, eat and have a bit of fun.'
Hard Rock Cafe is expected to move in when the leases of The Cavern and Hong Kong Brew House expire in September.