Hard Rock northern beaches: Plans for franchise to open in Manly have been pulled

There has been a twist in plans to open an internationally-known restaurant and live music franchise at a prime northern beaches’ location.

Plans to open what was once a mega-popular international restaurant and live music franchise on the northern beaches have been pulled.

The development application for a Hard Rock outlet at Manly — complete with a monster 9.2m high LED-light sculpture of a guitar near the front door — has been withdrawn, Northern Beaches Council has confirmed.

A property development group, Initium Management Pty Ltd, wanted to operate the Hard Rock Live venue on The Corso next door to the New Brighton pub in what used to be the Billabong brand surf wear shop that closed in June last year.

An architect's drawing of the exterior of premises proposed to accommodate a Hard Rock Cafe on The Corso at Manly. Picture: Grain Architects

The top two floors are now home to the Boardrider Backpackers & Budget Motel.

As well as creating at least 20 jobs, the premises planned to accommodate up to 534 customers and include space for outdoor diners.

DA documents lodged with the council revealed that the venue operators wanted to open from 7am to 3am — seven days a week. Alcohol would have been sold between 10am and 2am.

In June, a separate company that operated the Hard Rock Cafe at Darling Harbour went into liquidation. That venue is still closed.

Examples of the proposed 9.2m LED-lit guitar sculpture that would have been at the entrance to the proposed Hard Rock Cafe on The Corso at Manly. Picture: Grain Architects

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

The current interior of the premises, now being used as a pop-up art gallery, proposed to accommodate a Hard Rock Cafe on The Corso. Picture: Touring the Past

If the DA was 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 Cafe on The Corso at Manly. Picture: Manly Local Studies via History Hub

The current exterior of the premises proposed to accommodate a Hard Rock Cafe on The Corso at Manly. Picture: Touring the Past

The new local tourism organisation, Experience Manly, set up to encourage more visitors to Manly after two years of Covid, had 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 had recognised Manly “as an opportunity in the hospitality and entertainment sectors especially during the economic rebuild out of Covid”.

But Manly Ward councillor Candy Bingham said she was not surprised the DA had been withdrawn given the amount of community opposition to the plan.

“I didn’t see it as a viable proposal for Manly,” Cr Bingham said.

“The concept was tired and out of date.”

View of the now closed Hard Rock Cafe in Darlinghurst in 2000. Picture: Alan Pryke

A council spokesman said the original DA was withdrawn on March 9. A new application was lodged, but that was also subsequently withdrawn.

“No subsequent applications have been lodged since.”

The Manly Daily has made efforts to contact the developers.