Recession's soft impact on the Hard Rock Cafe

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-10-14 10:13

For 15 years, the Hard Rock Cafe Beijing has been the capital city's school of rock 'n' roll. "When we opened in 1994, it stunned them," said Jimmy Hoon, who has been the general manager of the Hard Rock Cafe Beijing since that opening. "We were the only cafe that was actually educating the Chinese about the music. We were teaching them what rock 'n' roll is all about," he said.

A crowd of more than 2,000 came to the grand opening to hear blues legend B.B. King. "We were the talk of the town," Hoon said, but added that the party was composed mostly of expats and tourists already well familiar with the Hard Rock brand name.

The few Chinese patrons who walked inside during the first year were unfamiliar with the classic rock music blaring from the loudspeakers and did not recognize the names of the musicians whose guitars, clothes and record albums filled the display cases in every room of the restaurant and live music venue, he said.

"Then Chinese musicians were dropping by to see all the memorabilia," Hoon said, adding that they began taking what they had learned to other bars and restaurants in the city.

Jimmy Hoon, general manager of the Hard Rock Cafe Beijing.

Fifteen years later, rock 'n' roll is a mainstay on the Beijing music scene, and a recent Saturday night at the Hard Rock Cafe Beijing welcomed a crowd that was more than half Chinese.

Hard Rock Cafe Beijing - at No 8 North Dongsanhuan Rd outside the Landmark Hotel in the city's Chaoyang district - is one of 157 Hard Rock venues operated by US-based Hard Rock International - including 127 cafes and 11 hotels and casinos.

Each cafe has a revolving collection of rock 'n' roll memorabilia. At the Hard Rock Cafe Beijing, there is a black leather coat that King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis Presley wore, a dress worn by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, a costume worn by Cher, a bass guitar played by John Entwistle of The Who and an autographed white electric guitar owned by Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones.

Also on display are autographed guitars from Tony Gilkyson, Chris Isaak, Hall & Oates, Martin Gore of Depeche Mode and Rick Derringer.

Visitors can also admire guitars played by Ozzy Osbourne, Michael Nesmith of the Monkees, Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran.

Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry each stand 4 m high on stained-glass panels. Above the main live music area is a ceiling dome 8 m wide with images of rock legends interspersed with artwork of Beijing's Tian'anmen Square and other local landmarks.

Hoon, a native of Singapore, said his favorite piece of memorabilia is Lucille, the name of the guitar owned by B.B. King that was autographed by the blues singer during the opening show at Hard Rock Cafe Beijing. It's now a permanent part of the cafe's collection.

In Beijing, rock 'n' roll is recession-proof.

While other restaurant chains and music venues have foundered in the global recession, Hard Rock Cafe Beijing was doing enough business to warrant a major facelift in 2008, including an expansion to the main hall and the addition of a new lounge area.

"We have been delighted at the success of the Beijing cafe since its opening in 1994," Hamish Dodds, Hard Rock International's president and CEO, said in a statement released before the re-opening of the expanded club in June 2008.

With the rock 'n' roll memorabilia changing every five years and a continually changing lineup of music from around the world, Hoon said the one unchanging rule is that all bands "have to play rock 'n' roll".

When Hoon is not screening future bands and managing the massive restaurant and club, which features live music every night, he travels Beijing scouting local music trends. "I listen to every kind of music," he said.

After 15 years, Hoon hasn't lost his enthusiasm for running a rock 'n' roll destination.

"I love it, honestly. At times you get frustrated, but most of the time you keep going," Hoon said. "You must love what you do."