Liquid Measure: Hard Rock's Star Power
Hard Rock Cafe leverages its heritage with a beverage program that includes partnering with musicians.
By Donna Hood Crecca, Contributing Editor -- Chain Leader, 11/1/2005
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Midday diners at Hard Rock Cafe Los Angeles enjoyed a concert by country music star Brad Paisley in early October. The event included opportunities to win autographed sampler CDs of Paisley’s latest release, “Time Well Wasted,” and an autographed guitar. Local radio stations heralded the event, as did in-restaurant materials such as posters, coasters and tabletop pieces.
Hard Rock Cafe developed the Time Well Wasted South Beach Cooler, featuring premium rum, lemon-flavored rum and amaretto combined with sweet-and-sour mix, cranberry-juice cocktail and lime juice, priced at $7. The cocktail was promoted in the 46 domestic Hard Rock Cafe locations through the end of October.
This type of event is one element of a three-tiered beverage program at Hard Rock Cafe that involves a new rock ’n’ roll-themed menu, events featuring rock stars with beverage tie-ins, and seasonal drink promotions. By combining signature beverages with music icons, Hard Rock is driving media attention and beverage sales.
“We’re all about delivering experiences that rock through our food, beverages and memorabilia,” says Cindy Busi, who, as worldwide beverage manager for Orlando, Fla.-based Hard Rock International, overseas beverages at 120 Hard Rock Cafes and 13 Hard Rock Hotel and Casino locations in 40 countries.
Musical Menu
The experience began with a new drink menu that launched in all U.S. and European Hard Rock Cafes in late April. Coinciding with a new food menu launch, the drink menu includes eight new cocktails and highlights Hard Rock’s heritage.
The Heavy Metal portion of the menu includes drinks such as Purple Haze: vodka, rum, gin and sweet-and-sour mix topped with lemon-lime soda and raspberry liqueur. Hip Hop cocktails include Piña Colada and other tropical libations. Most cocktail prices average $7.
The Classic Rock section features cocktails such as the Cosmopolitan, $9.99, made with citrus-flavored vodka, orange liqueur, lime juice and cranberry juice, served in a souvenir martini glass.
Name Dropping
Seasonal promotions, while always part of Hard Rock’s beverage program, also include a stronger music element. This summer, the Shake It Up program promoted five top-shelf tropical cocktails shaken tableside in guitar-shaped souvenir shakers.
The drink program also leverages the beverage projects and culinary inclinations of famous rockers. “There is a lot of history with beverages and rock stars, and several of them are involved in the industry,” says Busi.
The names of famous musicians appear throughout the drink menu, and their products are ingredients. The Red Rocker and Waborita cocktails feature the handmade tequila produced specifically for Sammy Hagar’s nightclub in Cabo San Lucas. The Mighty Mango Mary version of a Bloody Mary includes a hot sauce marketed by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry.
“It makes sense for Hard Rock to utilize a music theme in their beverage program and promotions,” explains Dave Commer, president of Carollton, Texas-based Commer Beverage Consulting. “This technique can help to create some interest around the beverage offerings and increase guest trial, but it is critical that the drinks deliver on quality and flavor. Cabo Wabo tequila works well because it is owned by Sammy Hagar and it is superb tequila.”
Server training for the new menu and promotions involves CD-ROM programs and an intranet-based curriculum on drink preparation and presentation. Incentives such as a chance to win a trip to Sammy Hagar’s annual birthday bash in Cabo San Lucas, which coincided with Hard Rock’s Cinco de Cabo promotion in May that featured the tequila, keep wait staff focused on promoting the featured cocktails.
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Hard Rock is leveraging its partnerships with rock stars and beverage brands in a variety of ways. Restaurants in seven cities are hosting a tour of former Grateful Dead front man Jerry Garcia’s paintings for one week each from August through November, drawing media attention and driving traffic into the restaurants, says Busi. Wine-tasting events raised awareness of the four varietals of J. Garcia wines on the new beverage menu. Available by the glass and bottle, the wines are priced at an average of $7 and $25, respectively.
The Buzz Factor
“We’re finding anything rock-star inspired is hot; the iconic angle is a big pull. People are willing to try a drink with a famous rocker’s name tied to it,” Busi says.
To pull the program together, Hard Rock Cafe International engaged Patrick Henry Creative Promotions, a food and beverage trade promotion agency based in Stafford, Texas. “Hard Rock is really thinking outside the box. They didn’t just want your traditional program where you put together a promotion and sell a few cocktails. This is a concerted effort to work with national brands and hot celebrities to get marketing buzz going and drink sales going at the same time,” says Mephele Zimmerman, director of the firm’s casual-dining division.
The effort appears to be paying off. While Busi won’t give specifics, she says beverage sales are trending positively and all programs will continue. After a few years of declines, cafe sales rose 9 percent in 2004, with overall food and beverage sales up 3.4 percent. Comp-store sales were essentially flat at 0.4 percent.
Busi anticipates the new food and beverage menu and coinciding events and promotions will spark further sales growth. “The new drink menu and recent promotion programs are very successful; if anything, we plan to pick up the pace,” she says. “Beverages have always been a focus for us, and we plan to continue mining the rock-star-partnership aspect because it sets Hard Rock apart.”
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