Hard Rock International Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Hard Rock International)
ORLANDO, Fla., March 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hard Rock Cafe's menu takes center stage as the brand rolls out a newly redesigned menu, following more than 14 months of culinary development, intensive research and guest evaluation. Officially launching on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, Hard Rock Cafe locations across the United States and Europe will begin serving a host of new offerings and updated fan favorites to more than 92 million guests across the brand who enter its doors each year.
The brand surveyed more than 3,000 guests in cafes acrossfour continents to collect feedback on more than 100 items from its existing and redesigned test menus. The research, conducted by Cohen Research Group, included a side-by-side comparison of current menu items and modified versions taking into consideration variations like seasoning, textures, flavor profiles, burger patty blends, French fry cut and more. The process resulted in the addition of 30 new items and the modification of 28 existing menu items.
"Our food and beverage team has worked tirelessly over the last 14 months, evaluating every item on our menu from appetizers and entrees, to desserts and cocktails - even our china and glassware," said Fred Thimm, Chief Operating Officer of Company Cafes for Hard Rock International.
"For more than 40 years, Hard Rock has served guests around the world by showing off our unique rock n' roll atmosphere," said Mike Zajak, Sr., Director of Culinary Development for Hard Rock. "This menu redesign reflects our ever-present commitment to bringing guests fresh, authentic scratch-based offerings."
Every garnish and ingredient was put under scrutiny during the process. More than 27 types of buns were sampled before the final brioche bun was selected. Burgers were evaluated by a number of different factors, including various blend combinations of premium ground beef and brisket, as well as fat to lean ratios, thickness and shape. During the menu revamp, Hard Rock made freshness and quality a top priority. The entire entre salad selection of the menu was reinvented, with five varieties of lettuce combinations brought in during the testing phase. Seasonal options for vegetable of the day and various burger toppings were added as well.
In updating plates, glasses and serving dishes, the brand worked with 14 different suppliers and brought in hundreds of patterns, shapes, sizes and colors to enhance the visual appeal of each dish.
Rising Chart Toppers Hard Rock added items in each menu category to give guests the widest variety of options. Three new salads (Grilled Chicken Chop Salad, Grilled Chicken Arugula Salad, Cobb Salad) and three of the new desserts (House-made Carrot Cake, Molten Lava Cake and Cheesecake with Oreo Cookie Pieces) all received extremely high marks. Research concluded that each of those items received order-again ratings of 90 percent and above nearly every guest that tested those menu items would order again upon their next visit. Another sure-fire hit being introduced is the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich, which combines freshly grilled vegetables, spicy Monterey Jack cheese, with a dash of Balsamic reduction on toasted sour dough bread.
All the new items kept in line with Hard Rock's core menu concept of scratch-based, all-American favorites that resonate with diners around the world. Popular new menu items added include entrees like the Cowboy Rib eye, a USDA choice 16-ounce, bone-in steak cooked to perfection, served with a choice of two sides, and Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich, slow-cooked beef brisket, topped with hickory barbecue sauce on a toasted brioche bun. Hard Rock also updated the sides, which allows guests to customize their meals such as Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and Daily Fresh Vegetables.
Greatest Hits Hard Rock also found that some menu items were a guest favorite just the way they were or with minor modifications to propel them from chart topper to legend. For example, Hard Rock's Nachos replaced a layer of queso with two layers of mixed cheeses and added options for new toppings such as savory pulled pork and smoked beef brisket to be reborn as their signature "Nachopalooza." Also, the famous Jumbo Chicken Wings will now debut as "Rockin' Wings" with a reformulated signature smoked 10-spice rub and a choice of Classic Rock, Tangy or Heavy Metal Sauces.
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Hard Rock Cafe Shines The Spotlight On New Menu