Downtown Phoenix Hard Rock Cafe To Close In February After 24 Years

A staple of downtown Phoenix is closing its doors next year after almost 25 years of business.

Hard Rock Cafe will close at the end its lease in February. The rock and roll-themed restaurant, across from Talking Stick Resort Arena, opened on October 21, 1995.

The Hard Rock initially opened a Phoenix location in October 1995 at 26th Street and Camelback Road before settling into its current location on the corner of Second and Jefferson streets.

That second location opened in March of 2002 with a block party and a live performance by Sugar Ray.

“Since opening the doors of Hard Rock Cafe Phoenix in 1995, Hard Rock International has enjoyed serving this dynamic community and playing a role in the city’s dining culture. In February, the lease for the Cafe will expire. As a result, the location will close on Friday, February 28, 2020,” the restaurant said in the statement.

Like every other Hard Rock Cafe location, Phoenix’s is equal parts museum, music venue, and eatery. It features a collection of memorabilia ranging from a stage costume worn by Justin Timberlake from his NSYNC days to an autographed Tom Petty jacket.

Hard Rock’s stage also hosted gigs by a number of local and touring bands during its two-decade lifespan, including participating in the first edition of the now-defunct Viva PHX music festival in 2014.

No other information about the restaurant’s closing was immediately available.