ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
SURFERS INSTITUTION VOWS TO STAY AS STAFF SHOWN THE DOOR
DEFIANT Hard Rock Cafe bosses have vowed to stay in Surfers Paradise after a bitter stoush with their landlord forced the popular venue’s closure just weeks after its 26th anniversary.
More than 30 people are out of work and its future is up in the air after a rental dispute between the restaurant’s international arm and management of the Paradise Centre shopping complex came to an abrupt head late last week.
The Bulletin was told weekend negotiations were held for a new central Surfers Paradise space. It will require the relocation of Hard Rock’s famous giant guitar which has been a landmark on the corner of Cavill and Orchid avenues since its opening in March 1996.
DEFIANT Hard Rock Cafe bosses have vowed to stay in Surfers Paradise after a bitter stoush with their landlord forced the popular venue’s closure just weeks after its 26th anniversary.
More than 30 people are out of work and the future of the venue is up in the air after a rental dispute between the restaurant’s international arm and management of the Paradise Centre shopping complex came to a head late last week.
The Bulletin was told on Sunday that a new location in central Surfers Paradise was being eyed off, with negotiations taking place over the weekend.
“They’re looking at a new location in Surfers Paradise and the negotiations have already started,” the Bulletin was told.
It will require the relocation of Hard Rock’s famous giant guitar sign, which has been a landmark on the corner of Cavill Ave and Orchid Ave since its opening in March 1996.
Paradise Centre management was contacted for comment by the Bulletin, but did not respond before deadline.
Shocked staff were told on Thursday that they had lost their jobs after the dispute escalated in the past two weeks, culminating in the rock memorabilia-filled restaurant and shop ceasing trading on Thursday night.
“We found out on Thursday that it was closing, which was a huge shock,” one longtime staff member said on Sunday.
“We don’t know what is happening right now, it’s really scary.
“All we were told was the decision had come down from head office.
“One way or another, I’ll really miss the place and all the people there.”
A letter to staff obtained by the Bulletin reveals they were offered a redundancy package and would be paid for all hours on their current roster.
“As you are aware, there is an ongoing dispute between our franchisor and the landlord of our current Surfers Paradise location,” the letter read.
“Unfortunately, this dispute is ongoing, and we have made the difficult decision to close the current Surfers Paradise location permanently. As the Gold Coast remains an important region for us, we are currently exploring options for a new premises, however, this will take some time.”
The Paradise Centre is in the middle of a $30m revamp to become a “world-class” dining and shopping precinct.
Surfers Paradise business and political leaders were shocked by the closure of the cafe and called for a resolution to the dispute.
Area councillor Darren Taylor said that the situation was “disappointing” and said it would be “terrible” to lose Hard Rock Cafe from the city.
“It would be good to see a resolution to this, but there are also other great places in Surfers Paradise to which it could relocate,” he said.
“It’s a huge shock and I would hate to think the business would be lost from the city, so I would hope for a resolution to this situation.”
Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall welcomed news Hard Rock was in talks for a new location and said the city could not be seen as unaffordable for businesses.
“This would be a huge loss for Surfers Paradise because it is a great icon of the area and synonymous with the heart of our city,” Mr Hall said.
“We hope it can stay centrally because it will offer up opportunities to regenerate another part of Surfers Paradise.”
THIS WOULD BE A HUGE LOSS FOR SURFERS PARADISE BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT ICON OF THE AREA AND SYNONYMOUS WITH THE HEART OF OUR CITY.
MARTIN HALL