Hard Rock northern beaches: International franchise wants to open new ‘live’ venue

An internationally-known restaurant and live music franchise wants to open its doors on the northern beaches — and let you eat outside.

Outdoor dining could be included in the operation of an international restaurant and live music franchise that wants to open its doors on the northern beaches.

And Hard Rock Live wants to install a 9.2m high LED-light sculpture of a guitar near the front door of the premises proposed for The Corso in Manly.

Development application documents lodged with Northern Beaches Council reveal that the venue owners want to open from 7am to 3am — seven days a week.

Examples of the proposed 9.2m LED-lit guitar sculpture that would be at the entrance to the proposed Hard Rock Live restaurant and live music venue on The Corso at Manly. Picture: Grain Architects

Alcohol would be available between 10am and 2am.

The premises, planned to accommodate up to 534 customers, are next door to the New Brighton Hotel in what used to be the Billabong brand surf wear shop that closed in June last year.

Plans slow that that Hard Rock Live would take over the ground floor of the three-storey building and have a mezzanine level. The top two floors are now home to the Boardrider Backpackers & Budget Motel.

The current interior of the premises, showing the mezzanine level on the left, proposed to accommodate a Hard Rock Live venue on The Corso at Manly. Picture: Touring the Past

A “statement of environmental effects” report commissioned by the project applicants, Sydney-based property development company Initium Management Pty Ltd, revealed that tables could be set up outside the venue.

“A separate application is made concurrently for use of the footway area adjacent to the tenancy for outdoor dining purposes,” it stated.

An architect's drawing of the exterior of the proposed Hard Rock Live on The Corso at Manly. Picture: Grain Architects

An architect's drawing of the ground floor layout in the proposed Hard Rock Live on The Corso at Manly. Picture: Grain Architects

The report also showed that 20 employees would be hired including chefs, bartenders, waitstaff and security personnel.

If the DA is approved work on the building, which was originally built by Woolworths as a grocery store in 1935, would include demolition of the front facade.

The original Woolworths store in the 1930s in the premises proposed to accommodate a Hard Rock Live venue on The Corso at Manly. Picture: Manly Local Studies via History Hub

The interior of Hard Rock Cafe, Sydney. Picture: News Corp

The new local tourism organisation, Experience Manly, which launched this week to help encourage more visitors to Manly after two years of Covid, welcomed the news of a new venue.

Its chair, Matt Clifton, who also has several bars in Manly, said it was encouraging to see international brands recognising Manly “as an opportunity in the hospitality and entertainment sectors especially during the economic rebuild out of Covid”.

“The proposed Hard Rock Live is offering Manly and the northern beaches a live music destination supporting the strategies of the local and state governments’ night time economy,” Mr Clifton said.

“I think (it) will bring audiences into the Manly CBD, which our local and business economies will subsequently benefit from.”