The Hard Rock Café in Paris, the last location of the American restaurant chain in France, has officially closed. A sign in French and English placed in front of the venue on Boulevard Montmartre states, "We regret to inform you that we are closed. We thank you and the city of Paris for always welcoming us warmly and enthusiastically." The café was in the heart of the capital, on the Grands Boulevards.
The Hard Rock Cafe International Group is a global chain of restaurants, hotels, and casinos operating in over 70 countries, with approximately 250 establishments worldwide. It is owned by the Seminole Native American tribe and is based in Florida. Hard Rock Cafes are renowned for their collections of musical instruments that once belonged to famous singers and rock bands. They are also popular tourist destinations; many guests leave with a T-shirt, the brand's best-selling souvenir, as a memento of their visit.
The management of the Hard Rock Café in Paris has not disclosed the reasons for its closure, or the exact number of employees affected, estimated to be around 90. The Paris location opened in 1991 and featured approximately 200 original pieces from artists, including musical instruments, stage costumes, autographs, and personal documents from rock legends such as Elvis Presley and Eric Clapton.
This closure follows the Hard Rock Café in Lyon, which shut down in early 2024, and the one in Nice, which closed in September 2023. The Marseille location had already closed in 2017. According to the most recent financial accounts for Hard Rock Café France, the Paris establishment reported a loss of €1.8 million for the 2022 financial year, which is double the loss from the previous year. Its turnover was €8.7 million, an increase from €3.4 million in 2021. Additionally, the company noted that it employed 96 people at that time.
The Nice establishment ended its 2023 financial year with a loss of 3.8 million euros and a turnover of 2.5 million euros. With 49 employees, the economic situation likely influenced the Hard Rock Café group's decision to leave France. The Seminole tribe acquired the group in 2006 for nearly a billion dollars.