Vegas Dining: As more and more tourists gravitate towards the glittering Las Vegas Strip, The Hard Rock Café prepares to open a second, and even more luxurious location in Sin City.
"The foot traffic on the Strip has become its own entity. In the old days Vegas was kind of spread out, but now it's really concentrated on the Strip," says Hard Rock Café Las Vegas Senior Sales and Marketing Manager Peter Lin. "It's cooler and sexier to be on the Strip."
The first Hard Rock Café opened near London's Hyde Park area over 38 years ago. Since then, Hard Rock Cafes have blossomed all over the world, including India and Japan.
To bring its ubiquitous history of rock n' roll memorabilia into the new millennium, the new Café will allow customers to get in on the music. A touch screen wall allows customers to pick music videos to play in the restaurant. And for the techno lovers, some booths will feature Microsoft's interactive Surface tabletops, allowing customers Internet access and special programs designed just for the Café.
In addition, the Café will also feature a live music venue, as it plans to open an intimate Hard Rock Live! concert venue able to accommodate 1,000 people.
Although visitors to Vegas may be initially confused by all their Hard Rock options, the new Café's exterior 60-foot guitar will also have an elevator that runs up and down the frets.
As Lin says, "It's pretty cool."
For LxM Carly Zinderman
