Hard Rock Cafe moving location after 20 years

[Kalihiboy]

Moving out if its present location into the Waikiki Beach Walk retail area in 2009:

http://starbulletin.com/2007/08/04/news/story01.html

Sort of makes sense the other Hard Rocks in Hawaii are located near the beach and many of the mainland Hard Rock's are located in the heart of its popular tourist areas.

I don't know what kind of business Hard Rock gets at night but I ate there recently and the place was dead until one of UH's opponents were in town (might have been volleyball) and livened up the place, other than that the place felt like it's better days had past. Bill was over nearly 100 bucks and bought no souvenirs and it was just my wife, two toddlers and mother-in- law eating there. Often drive by the place and during the day nobody seems to be there either. I'm sure this change of location will help business.

Aj

[GeckoGeek]

It is unclear what will be developed at the nearly 1-acre site of the existing restaurant, across from the Hawaii Convention Center.

<sigh> Anyone taking any bets that it won't be another high rise?

[tutusue]

Hopefully the 'acoustics' at the new HR will be one heckuva lot better than the current one. Dang...that's such a noisy restaurant that I found it hard to carry on a conversation with my table mates. I've been there less than a handful of times because of that.

GG...that property is too valuable not to go high rise. Time will tell, tho'. I wonder which high rise will be the one to sink the island?! :rolleyes:

[joshuatree]

<sigh> Anyone taking any bets that it won't be another high rise?

New rail station/low income housing high rise? :D

[GeckoGeek]

New rail station/low income housing high rise? :D

Rail station would be good. Especially right across the street from the convention center. Low income? Not likely. Not in Waikiki.

Bring back Coco Joe's! :D

[joshuatree]

Rail station would be good. Especially right across the street from the convention center. Low income? Not likely. Not in Waikiki.

Bring back Coco Joe's! :D

It's too bad, it makes perfect sense for a low income right on top of a rail station right there. Gives reason for tenants above the station to not need a car; they are a spitting distance from jobs in Waikiki and shopping at Ala Moana/Walmart; and the rent collected could help offset cost of station. I guess that makes too much sense for the powers that be.

[Palolo Joe]

Rail station would be good. Especially right across the street from the convention center. Low income? Not likely. Not in Waikiki.

Not likely? Yeah right. Head over the bridge on Kalakaua and take a right on Ala Wai. Go down to the end of the block and you'll find some low-rise, low income housing.

A rail station with an apartment tower on the top makes sense to me.

Bring back Coco Joe's! :D

Umm... it was called Coco's. I used to have breakfast there 3 or 4 times a week.

Never gonna happen, but I wish that place would come back too.

http://i2.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/ag/0c/c8a4_1.JPG

[GeckoGeek]

Go down to the end of the block and you'll find some low-rise, low income housing.

New buildings, or just ones that haven't been sold to the developers yet? I don't think it's likely that the politicians are going to put low income housing there. Not impossible, but more likely some grand glorious vision will come to them. :rolleyes: That all assumes they move fast enough to get it.



Umm... it was called Coco's.

Dang. Why did I think Coco Joes? Mixing it up with tourist tikis, I guess.

You're right. Nice, but not going to happen. I can dream.

[Honoruru]

Hopefully the 'acoustics' at the new HR will be one heckuva lot better than the current one. Dang...that's such a noisy restaurant that I found it hard to carry on a conversation with my table mates. I've been there less than a handful of times because of that.

The only time I went to Hardrock was just after it first opened. I don't remember much of what happened that day ... none of us could hear what anyone was saying, so we ended up just looking at the guitars hanging on the walls.

Umm... it was called Coco's. I used to have breakfast there 3 or 4 times a week.
http://i2.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/ag/0c/c8a4_1.JPG

Ahhh, Coco's. Many memories there. It was one of about a half dozen 24-hour restaurants we visited after 2:00 a.m. ... including Wailana, Likelike, Columbia Inn, the Civic, and a Chinese/American restaurant near the Ilikai, the name of which I can't remember.

[tutusue]

[...]Ahhh, Coco's. Many memories there. It was one of about a half dozen 24-hour restaurants we visited after 2:00 a.m. ... including Wailana, Likelike, Columbia Inn, the Civic, and a Chinese/American restaurant near the Ilikai, the name of which I can't remember.
Wasn't there one on the mauka/ewa corner of Kalakaua and Young or King? Or was I eating breakfast illegally at 2am?! :D

[helen]

There was a Dinners on the corner (King and Kalakaua) during the mid-1980's. Now it's now a storage place that is still under construction.

[tutusue]

There was a Dinners on the corner (King and Kalakaua) during the mid-1980's. Now it's now a storage place that is still under construction.
The name, Dinners, doesn't sound familiar, Helen, but the location does. When I passed the self-storage in progress I thought of that restaurant so I guess we're talkin' about the same one!

[scrivener]

The name, Dinners, doesn't sound familiar, Helen, but the location does. When I passed the self-storage in progress I thought of that restaurant so I guess we're talkin' about the same one!
Diners Drive-In.

[1stwahine]

Ooops! Sorry...I neba read your post good.

My bad.

Auntie Lynn

[oceanpacific]

There was a Dinners on the corner (King and Kalakaua) during the mid-1980's. Now it's now a storage place that is still under construction.

It was a branch of DINER'S DRIVE-INN (the original location is in Kalihi on North King St., Diamond Head of Waikamilo). There was also one on Keeaumoku, which was displaced by the HMSA building.

Before Coco's, I believe it was called KOW KOW KORNER.

[helen]

That location went through a lot of names, business and business types. Before the construction it was a seasonable place that sold Christmas trees. Before Dinner's time I think it was a gas station and Dinner's didn't stay that long in that place so you might have encountered another eatry there that I don't know or remember about.

And now that I think about it, at one point in time it was two eatries there. Dinners as a take out and some other place that had the regular sit down restaurant type close to the King Street side of the building which of course is drawing a blank on my memory as to the name of that business.

[helen]

Okay my memory is that bad such that I am mispelling Diners as Dinners.

[Honoruru]

On King and Kalaukaua, there was a Diner's, but I think it was an offshoot of the Diner's on Keeaumoku when it closed. It might have had a slightly different name, or another name entirely, but I believe it was related to the closing of the Keeaumoku Diner's. My memory is hazy about this, but the restaurant was definitely short-lived. I had completely forgotten about this corner until reading Tutusue post about this. God, how I hate growing old!

[tutusue]

[...]And now that I think about it, at one point in time it was two eatries there. Dinners as a take out and some other place that had the regular sit down restaurant type close to the King Street side of the building which of course is drawing a blank on my memory as to the name of that business.
I know the restaurant I'm thinking of wasn't a drive-in. It was a casual diner/coffee shop thingie, with booths. There were removable partitions between booths to allow for larger parties. I'm remembering late 1980s...the good ol' days when I could stay up that late! :D

[oceanpacific]

I know the restaurant I'm thinking of wasn't a drive-in. It was a casual diner/coffee shop thingie, with booths. There were removable partitions between booths to allow for larger parties. I'm remembering late 1980s...the good ol' days when I could stay up that late! :D

I don't recall the name, but one you're thinking of is probably the coffee shop near the BERETANIA-KALAKAUA corner in the Midtown Shopping Plaza. That used to also house DATA-1 Computers, Subway, Hibachi Hut. The Chevron station on the corner also sold Christmas trees and was owned by Richard Tajiri (?). That site is now a condo for senior housing.

The parcel across Young Street (KING-KALAKAUA) was a gas station and also housed DINER'S and, at one time, PRECISION TUNE. My brother worked at Precision Tune when they went belly-up. He had to wait awhile to get his paycheck through bankruptcy court.

[tutusue]

Wasn't there one on the mauka/ewa corner of Kalakaua and Young or King? Or was I eating breakfast illegally at 2am?! :D
I don't recall the name, but one you're thinking of is probably the coffee shop near the BERETANIA-KALAKAUA corner in the Midtown Shopping Plaza.[...]
Yes...I remember the restaurant was one of several businesses within that complex. Didn't that small plaza encompass Beretania, Kalakaua and Young? I think the restaurant was kind of mid-block.

[oceanpacific]

As I remember it, the coffee shop was on the mauka end of the plaza, closer to Beretania and adjacent to the Chevron station. The menu was similar to those of Columbia Inn, Flamingo, Kenny's, and King's Bakery Coffee Shop.

[D'Alani]

It was a branch of DINER'S DRIVE-INN (the original location is in Kalihi on North King St., Diamond Head of Waikamilo). There was also one on Keeaumoku, which was displaced by the HMSA building.

Before Coco's, I believe it was called KOW KOW KORNER.

Kau Kau Korner and there was a Kau Kau Jr. where Nimitz Hwy splits if you're going diamond head. Wow as goin back some.:)

[tutusue]

As I remember it, the coffee shop was on the mauka end of the plaza, closer to Beretania and adjacent to the Chevron station.[...]
I'm sure this is the same one and I'm not remembering it's location correctly 'cuz the few times I was there was always after 2am! :o

[tvguy]

Yes...I remember the restaurant was one of several businesses within that complex. Didn't that small plaza encompass Beretania, Kalakaua and Young? I think the restaurant was kind of mid-block.

Wasn't there a Dairy Queen in there before as well?

And the Diner's "Cheeseburger Special" was perfect for a kid on a high school budget, which is basically a couple bucks and coins in your pocket. I'm Filipino, so I can tease, because everytime I ordered it, the girl at the counter said into the mike to order, "Chiss-burrrga" (Gotta roll the 'r' in Burger"

Getting back to Hard Rock, I remembered when it opened and the very first band to play there was Crowded House.

[Kalihiboy]

I've seen pictures of a press conference Bon Jovi had there one time, might have been the concert they did here in 1987 or 1988.

Aj

[GeckoGeek]

Dang. All this talk about the Beretania, Kalakaua and Young block is getting to me. I barely remember it. About all I remember is that I had to walk around something on the Beretania end to get to Subway.

Odd that I don't remember the Chevron station since I usually buy Chevron. Either the station was closed for a long time or was really run-down looking. Sure it wasn't a 76?

But getting back to "hard to remember", that's why I try to take photos of things I know are going away. It irks me to know that a building is only a few years old but I can't remember what used to be on that site before.

As for the old Dinner's site, one if it's last uses was a campaign headquarters. Fairly prominent politician.

[cezanne]

I'm sure this is the same one and I'm not remembering it's location correctly 'cuz the few times I was there was always after 2am! :o

GASP! Yer talkin bout Arirang's!?! jk

I remember Diner's at that corner too tho I never ate there. I remember the gas station too... I think it was Chevron then it turned into some generic self-serve gas station... we used to put gas before cruising into Waikiki from country.

[gchun]

It was a branch of DINER'S DRIVE-INN (the original location is in Kalihi on North King St., Diamond Head of Waikamilo). There was also one on Keeaumoku, which was displaced by the HMSA building.

Before Coco's, I believe it was called KOW KOW KORNER.



Wasn't that Diner's one block makai? (on the block that currently houses Sam's Club?) I remember it being on the same block as Comotronics (which was on Rycroft.)

Garry

[D'Alani]

Wasn't that Diner's one block makai? (on the block that currently houses Sam's Club?) I remember it being on the same block as Comotronics (which was on Rycroft.)

Garry

I think that Diners was located where McDonalds is.