A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

Recent entries:
“Instead of ‘British Summer Time’ and ‘Greenwich Mean Time’ we should just call them ‘Oven Clock Correct Time’...” (3/28)
“Has anyone here ever drank a pint of tequila? I know it’s a long shot” (3/28)
“A pint of tequila? That’s a long shot” (3/28)
“The U.S. should add three more states. Because 53 is a prime number. Then they can truly be one nation, indivisible” (3/28)
Entry in progress—BP4 (3/28)
More new entries...

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z


Entry from April 15, 2006
Planet Hollywood
This "planet" started in New York City, on West 57th Street. On October 22, 1991 the first Planet Hollywood opened on 57th Street, near Carnegie Hall and the Hard Rock Cafe.

Planet Hollywood is a theme restaurant that serves movie memorabilia with its food. Restaurants are now located in several countries.

Many other theme restaurants have followed the models of the Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood. Planet Hollywood opened a Times Square restaurant called the All Star Cafe in the 1990s. That quickly folded, and Planet Hollywood moved from 57th Street to the Times Square space that had been the ill-fated All Star Cafe.

The Hard Rock Cafe has also moved from West 57th Street to Times Square.

http://www.planethollywood.com/ny%20restaurant%20page.shtm
PLANET HOLLYWOOD NEW YORK
1540 Broadway
Located at 45th & Broadway in Times Square
PH: 212-333-7827
Fax: 212-265-4014

13 November 1990, New York Times, pg. B11:
The center, planned for West 57th Street in the same block as Carnegie Hall, will have offices, a screening room, a restaurant and rooms for special events like premieres. The restaurant, Planet Hollywood, will be open to the public and will be run by ROBERT EARL, the president of the Hard Rock Cafe. In Hollywood style, Planet Hollywood is being designed by an Academy Award winner, the set designer ANTON FURST, who worked on "Batman."

23 October 1991, New York Times, "Fantasy For the Price of a Burger" by Molly O'Neill, pg. C1:
LAST night, hundreds of invited guests descended on West 57th Street to salute the opening of Planet Hollywood, a sprawling restaurant and bar that is dedicated to the deep-down desire to be one with the silver screen, or at least to be somebody -- somebody famous, somebody else.

Forget the free-range chicken. Let the free-range fantasy roll. The walls of Planet Hollywood curve around the 250 seats, placing diners at the epicenter of an alternate reality. A 40-foot mural dominates one wall. Movie memorabilia -- the dress that Dorothy wore in "The Wizard of Oz," James Dean's motorcycle -- are displayed in museum cases. Oh, and the menu. There are Buffalo wings, pizza bread, blackened fish and burgers. Dinner runs about $15.

6 December 1995, New York Times, "At the Plate, a Burger at a Time" by Florence Fabricant, pg. C3:
OUT came the hamburgers, and Robert Earl beamed. "We're willing to put our burger up against any competitor," said Mr. Earl, who has already given the world 29 Planet Hollywoods and will inaugurate the first Official All Star Cafe, a 650-seat homage to professional sports, in Times Square on Dec. 18.

8 February 1999, New York Times, "As Rents Soar, Boom Is Slowed In Times Square" by Charles V. Bagli, pg. B7:
Across the street, the Official All Star Cafe is making money, but its parent company, Planet Hollywood International, has decided to shut down the chain, and has put the lease on the market.

24 March 1999, New York Times, pg. B3:
Planet Hollywood still plans to move its flagship restaurant from 57th Street to Times Square.
Posted by {name}
Restaurants/Bars/Coffeehouses/Food Stores • Saturday, April 15, 2006 • Permalink


Commenting is not available in this channel entry.