Rolling Stone: Late to the Party?

Well after brands like Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood have the music-themed dining landscape covered, Rolling Stone magazine has recently decided to extend its brand to the restaurant niche. The publication plans to open its first Rolling Stone restaurant (catchy name) during the summer of 2010. The 10,000-square-foot site near Hollywood’s Kodiak Theatre—home of the Academy Awards—will be developed by Lucky Rug Group.

To avoid any me-too accusations, the developers promise that the menu will be more upscale than Hard Rock’s, focusing on American and California cuisine with some Mexican touches, and the interiors will sport a sleeker look. The company is aiming for a slightly more upscale target customer than the typical Hard Rock client.

“We don’t want it to be a museum. We won’t have Elvis costumes on the walls,” one of the developers told the Los Angeles Times. The two-tiered venue will include a restaurant and bar on the top level and a more exclusive lounge on the lower level. The lounge will be available for corporate events.

Rolling Stone executives deny that an ailing publishing business is motivating the move into foodservice. But as anyone who owns a restaurant knows, this business is no picnic right now, either. Rolling Stone did not release any information about its expansion plans.