By Bryan Kay
Staff Reporter
Mystery surrounds the future of the Hard Rock Cafe in Seoul after the apparent failure of its second coming at the heart of Itaewon ― with legal proceedings launched between the local franchise holder and Hard Rock Cafe International.
The short-lived enterprise closed at the beginning of the year after just months in business, ostensibly due to water and electrical problems.
But, five months on, and with the doors still firmly fixed shut, the favorite among expats and Koreans alike shows no sign of re-opening.
And The Korea Times can today reveal that the Hard Rock Cafe's head office in Orlando, Fla., is in the midst of legal proceedings over the Seoul venture.
``At this time parties are in litigation on this matter and as per brand policy, we do not comment on pending litigation,'' a spokesperson for Hard Rock International said Tuesday.
It remains unclear which particular party launched the action ― the franchise license holder in Korea or Hard Rock International ― but the local branch closed abruptly early this year.
In late March, not long after the sudden closure, a spokesman for the local branch wrote to one customer, stating that the cafe was closed due to ``electrical and water problems,'' adding that as soon as it was ready to re-open, the individual would be sent a special invite.
The e-mail said, ``We apologize for the inconvenience and your disappointment. We are experiencing electrical and water problems at this time (and) will be closed until all these factors have been resolved.
``At this time, we are unable to offer our guests the quality of service that they would expect from us, and for this reason we felt that there was no other choice but to close until we could guarantee a safe and exciting place for all of our guests.''
But it soon emerged the problems were much graver, and speculation began to circulate among the Itaewon business community that alleged infighting among the partners in the franchise had broken out.
One Itaewon bar industry source said he understood the franchise license had been revoked by Hard Rock Cafe headquarters in the United States due to a breach of terms, though Hard Rock International refused to be drawn over this allegation when questioned Tuesday. The source added that much of the problem might have been down to the playing of unsuitable music.
The cafe in Itaewon only opened last April after a reputed multi-million-dollar grand opening. Daryl ``D.M.C.'' McDaniel was one of the big-name musicians to perform at the underground location beside the Hamilton Hotel soon after it swung open its doors.
At the time, President and CEO of Hard Rock Cafe International Hamish Dodds said, ``We have enjoyed great success in Seoul and anticipate the opportunity to re-establish the cafe in this new strategic location. Hard Rock looks forward to bringing high-energy dining, live music and exciting entertainment to locals and visitors alike with the rock n' roll passion that has made Hard Rock world-famous.'' The previous Seoul Hard Rock Cafe had been located in Apgujeong.
The Korea Times has made attempts to contact those involved in the local franchise, but failed to receive a response to an e-mail inquiry.
All local contact details have been removed from the Seoul cafe's section on the franchise group's main Web site. A note posted on the site states that the branch is: ``Temporarily closed. Check back often for details on the re-opening of Hard Rock Cafe Seoul."