Hard Rock Caracas reopens amid uneven recovery

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The new location is scheduled to open Thursday with a franchise partner, according to an emailed statement from Hard Rock International. The opening of the 1,500-square-meter restaurant will feature live music and new collectibles.

The company declined to provide further details about the operations in Caracas, although they now appear on its main website. On their Twitter account, the Venezuelan rock band Caramelos de Cianuro announces itself as the first show.

Hard Rock Café withdrew from the Venezuelan capital in 2020 during coronavirus lockdowns after years of unprecedented economic crisis. Other international food franchises like Wendy’s and TGI Friday’s recently left the country.

There are currently some 200 franchised brands in Venezuela, compared to more than 500 eight years ago, according to data from the Profranquicias business association. In Venezuela, Hard Rock Café has another location on Isla Margarita that opened in 2006.

The government’s decision to allow the circulation of the US dollar to combat inflation and widespread shortages led to a boom in consumption in small wealthy areas of major cities. However, for most Venezuelans it is still impossible to buy many imported products or afford a meal in the new luxury restaurants.

Despite signs that inflation is picking up and that the government is placing limits on the advance of dollarization, new restaurants and shops appear in Caracas every month.

Dozens of people have been rushing for weeks to finish the new Hard Rock Café, located in a mostly residential area of ​​the Los Palos Grandes neighborhood in eastern Caracas. But until photos of the partially uncovered logo were shared on social media this week, no one knew exactly what was being built.