Hard Rock Café to open at Dům U Rotta in April

Dům u Rotta is one of the most famous buildings by Prague’s Old Town Square, with a facade dating back to 1890 but foundations going back six hundred years. For a century-and-a-half the Neo-Renaissance building was the home of the famous Rott hardware store, but later was turned into a delicatessen and then a glassware and crystal seller. Now, an announced change: the site will soon reopen as a famous international franchise, the Hard Rock Café.

Photo: CTK

For years, it was the place in Prague to buy hardware, U Rotta just off Prague’s Old Town Square. Opened in 1840 by the Rott family, featuring a facade by Mikoláš Aleš, the store sold everything from hardware goods to mechanical items to clock parts and later even musical instruments. It experienced its greatest heyday in the 1930s, and survived forty years of communism, only closing its doors in 1989.

In the Nineties, the building, which was returned to descendants of the original owners, underwent extensive reconstruction, before reopening as a quality delicatessen. But that only lasted for a few years before it was replaced by a crystal and glassware store. Now U Rotta, just off the Old Town Square will be a home to a new franchise: the Hard Rock Café. The venue is due to open in April, echoing openings in other international cities including India’s Dehli and Italy’s Venice. The Prague venue will cover 1,900 square metres, making it the largest of the franchise cafes in Europe.

Photo: CTK

What can visitors expect? Above all, a restaurant offering southern food from ribs and Tex-Mex dishes to salads, desserts like apple cobbler and of course American hamburgers. A Hard Rock Café representative has said that prices would reflect local competition, although there is no exact word on that yet.

As for the other main attraction, Hard Rock Café wouldn’t be what it is without featuring famous rock n’ roll memorabilia. The Prague venue will reportedly display the following: jeans belonging to U2 singer Bono, a Madonna dress from her Virgin tour in 1985, and a black boa which once belonged to Gwen Stefani. It’s a far cry from nuts-and-bolts which used to be sold at the same address; franchise representatives are confidant rock lovers in Prague will come into their own.