Hard Rock Café Returning To Iceland

The Hard Rock Café has secured a location in downtown Reykjavík, some ten years after disappearing from Iceland.

MBL reports that Lækjargata 2A, which currently houses Iða and Café Mezzo, will be closed over the New Year holiday in order to make way for the Hard Rock Café. This will mark the first time in ten years that the restaurant will be opened in Iceland, after previously being located at the Kringlan mall.

Iða had a rental agreement over the next six years, but Iða’s CEO, Arndís B. Sigurgeirsdóttir, told reporters that Hard Rock bought them out of the contract.

While the property is being cleared out now, Arndís told reporters it will likely not be for a few days after January 1 that Hard Rock opens. The franchise has reportedly had an interest in opening again in Iceland for some time now.

Hard Rock’s last venture in Iceland was at Kringlan, but closed in May 2005 after 18 years in business there. However, Vísir reported at the time that the initial surge in popularity waned over the years, and they were not able to sustain the cost of operations.