ROCK SHOP: How many times have you dashed to a Rock Shop at Hard Rock Cafe on your travels and bought yourself Hard Rock tees in various colours because you wouldn’t get one in Calcutta? Well, that wait is finally over. HRC in Park Mansions on Park Street has unveiled its merchandise segment on the ground floor, spread over 600sq ft. Sweatshirts, tees, drinking glasses (think mason jars, shot glasses and goblets), key rings, badges... you will find it all. “Besides the tees, the badges are popular and we always keep city-centric ones, like we will soon have the tram, Howrah Bridge and yellow taxi badges,” said Kunal Joshi, director of operations (north, south and east), Hard Rock Cafe India. Tees are priced Rs 999 onwards.
Shot glasses
Music memorabilia: There are a total of 52 iconic pieces belonging to legendary musicians like Elvis Presley, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix. Needless to say, they have already become a regular feature on Snapchat! Here are the Top 3 Most Expensive ones (price not disclosed) in Calcutta, acquired by the company, only for display.
James Brown’s metallic black suit: Skinny slacks, pointy shoes and that quiff. Style god of the 1960s — American soul legend James Brown — once wore this shimmery black robe on stage and it is in the spotlight on the landing of the HRC staircase.
Gene Simmons’ axe bass: A guitar with a body like an axe! Yes, that belongs to Gene Simmons of American rock band KISS. This unusual bass was used by the artiste during the band’s Psycho Circus tour in 1998-1999.
Lady Gaga’s bustier: Like it or not, pop singer Lady Gaga’s fashion statement has always created a buzz. The Park Street outlet of HRC has the Born This Way singer’s black leather bustier that she had worn in 2008.
?Y.M.C.A. Dance: If you’ve been to HRC at night then you could not have missed the Y.M.C.A. dance performance by the staff that happens every day at 9pm. They jump onto the podium, clapping and singing along, and the vibe is super pumped up.
?SELFIE CORNER: Right as you enter HRC, you will be greeted by Anaconda singer Nicki Minaj... or rather a mannequin wearing Nicki’s blue-silver bling dress. Reason enough for her fans to snap a selfie!
top bites: A week in operation, the #nomnom hit list includes, Original Legendary Burger and Flatbreads. “We wanted to offer something more than nachos, burgers and pizzas so we decided to include flatbread,” said Vanita.
Jumbo Combo
“The feedback from our guests has been phenomenal. We are getting raving reviews about the food and the footfall is around 500 on weekdays and 700-plus on weekends. We are glad to give Calcutta what it has been missing,” said Amit and Vanita Bajoria, directors of HRC Calcutta.
