Planet Hollywood facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Genre | Celebrity |
| Founded | October 22, 1991 in New York City, New York, US |
| Founders | Keith Barish Robert Earl |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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Number of locations
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3 (2025) |
| Services |
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| Owner | Robert Earl |
| Parent | Earl Enterprises |
| Subsidiaries | Planet Hollywood Resorts International, LLC |
Planet Hollywood is a famous chain of restaurants that celebrates the magic of Hollywood movies. The restaurants are like mini-museums, filled with real props and costumes from popular films. The company is owned by Earl Enterprises, which was founded by Robert Earl.
The first Planet Hollywood opened in New York City on October 22, 1991. It was a huge event, with famous movie stars like Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger backing the project. These actors helped promote the restaurant and were given part ownership in the company.
Many other celebrities joined in, including Whoopi Goldberg, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Cindy Crawford. In the 1990s, Planet Hollywood was incredibly popular, with over 60 restaurants all over the world.
However, the company later faced money problems. It had to file for bankruptcy, which is when a company doesn't have enough money to pay its bills. After reorganizing, the company had fewer restaurants. As of 2025, there are three Planet Hollywood restaurants and five hotels still in operation.
Contents
The Beginning of Planet Hollywood
Robert Earl, one of the founders, had a lot of experience with themed restaurants. He had already opened many in Great Britain and Florida. He also helped expand the Hard Rock Cafe, another famous themed restaurant chain.
Earl believed that music, movies, and sports were things that people all over the world could enjoy together. This idea led to the creation of Planet Hollywood.
A Star-Studded Launch
The first Planet Hollywood opened in New York City in 1991. It was an instant hit, thanks to its famous celebrity investors. Soon after, new locations opened in big cities like London and Chicago.
In 1993, the company opened restaurants in Washington, D.C., and Cancun, Mexico. Each new restaurant opening was a big party, and in their first year, each location made around $15 million.
The company grew quickly. The largest Planet Hollywood opened in Las Vegas in 1994, with enough seats for 500 people. Another huge location opened at Walt Disney World that same year.
Trying New Ideas
With the restaurants doing so well, the company decided to try other ideas. They created the Official All Star Café, which was like Planet Hollywood but for sports fans. It featured famous athletes and sports memorabilia.
They also planned to open restaurants based on Marvel Comics characters and even had an idea for a TV game show. Because the merchandise like t-shirts and hats was so popular, they opened separate stores called Planet Hollywood Superstores in 1996.
Going Public and Facing Challenges
In April 1996, Planet Hollywood decided to "go public." This means it started selling parts of the company, called shares, to anyone who wanted to buy them on the New York Stock Exchange. On the first day, the price of the shares went up a lot, but by 1999, the price had dropped.
The company faced more competition as other themed restaurants opened. Some people thought Planet Hollywood was growing too fast and not paying enough attention to its original restaurants. This led to problems like high prices and food that wasn't as good as it used to be.
In 1998, the company lost a lot of money. They had to make changes, and one of the original founders, Keith Barish, stepped down from his role as chairman.
Filing for Bankruptcy
By 1999, Planet Hollywood was in serious debt. In October, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This allowed them to reorganize the business without having to shut down completely. They closed the restaurants that weren't doing well and focused on improving the original Planet Hollywood theme.
The company came out of bankruptcy in May 2000. They brought in new celebrities and worked on improving the restaurant's decorations and menu. However, the company faced more trouble after the September 11 attacks in 2001, which caused fewer people to travel and eat out. This led to Planet Hollywood filing for bankruptcy a second time.
In 2008, Planet Hollywood bought the Buca di Beppo chain of Italian restaurants, which helped the company grow again.
The Cape Town Bombing
In August 1998, the Planet Hollywood restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa, was the target of a bombing that killed two people. The people who did it said it was in response to political events happening in other parts of the world.
Planet Hollywood Locations Today
As of 2025, you can still experience the magic of Planet Hollywood at several locations around the world.
Restaurants
- Orlando / Walt Disney World: Located at Disney Springs, this restaurant was remodeled in 2017 and is now called the Planet Hollywood Observatory.
- New York City: A new location opened in Times Square on February 3, 2025.
- Doha, Qatar: This restaurant opened in a shopping and entertainment area called Doha Oasis in 2021.
Resorts and Hotels
Planet Hollywood has also expanded into hotels and resorts, where you can stay in rooms surrounded by movie history.
- Las Vegas: The Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is a famous landmark on the Las Vegas Strip.
- Cancun, Mexico: A beach resort that opened in 2021.
- Costa Rica: A beach resort on the Peninsula Papagayo that opened in 2018.
- Goa, India: A resort on Utorda Beach that opened in 2014.
- Thane City, India: A hotel that opened in 2022.
Former Restaurant Ideas
Planet Hollywood tried out several other restaurant themes over the years.
- Official All Star Café: A sports-themed restaurant that operated from 1995 to 2007.
- Marvel Mania: A restaurant based on Marvel Comics characters. One location opened in 1998 near Universal Studios Hollywood but closed a year later due to the company's financial problems.
- Sound Republic: A music-themed restaurant created with MTV Networks. The plan was to open several locations with concert halls, but the idea didn't last long.
- Cool Planet Cafe: An ice cream shop with a movie theme. The first one opened in 1998 with Whoopi Goldberg as its spokesperson. The brand's ice cream was even sold in grocery stores.
See also
- Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
- Buca di Beppo
- Rainforest Cafe
- Hard Rock Cafe
Images for kids
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Planet Hollywood in Niagara Falls, Ontario (Closed 2017)
