Pour one out for the once-bustling Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Chicago.
Chicago’s Hard Rock Cafe, located at 63 W. Ontario St in River North, will soon close its doors for good, according to a statement from Hard Rock International, the restaurant’s parent company. The closure for the iconic rock memorabilia restuarant — easily recognized by tourists and locals alike, thanks to its giant guitar out front — comes after nearly 40 years in the Windy City, the statement said.
“We are so grateful to our incredible team members, community partners and fans for their support and memories all this time,” the statement added.
The Chicago location will permanently close March 29, 2025, the statement said. According to the company, restaurant employees will receive “outplacement support and resources” and can apply to other open positions.
Hard Rock Cafe locations in Rockford and Northern Indiana will remain open, the company said. No reason for the closure was provided.
Other famed restuarant spots near the Hard Rock have also changed over the years. In August of 2020, the Rainforest Cafe, at 605 N. Clark, shut down. Three years before that, in 2017, the city’s well-known Rock n’Roll McDonalds, at Clark and Ontario, remodeled, shedding its legendary rock façade.
