Iguazú continues to grow as a tourist destination, following pre-pandemic plans. After the reactivation of the sector, several franchises landed to make history in Iguazú, and now one of the most recognized brands worldwide comes to invest, generate jobs, and position the destination worldwide.
This was confirmed by the Governor of the province of Misiones, Oscar Herrera Ahuad, within the framework of the 121st anniversary of the city of Puerto Iguazú and after the arrival of the millionth tourist to the Falls.
The provincial representative reported that as part of the tourist and commercial reactivation, new investors were received from significant franchises in the world, such as Hard Rock, which is among the ten most renowned establishments in the world.
Hard Rock Cafe is a restaurant chain founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton. All the establishments are decorated with rock cult objects such as guitars from famous groups. While typical American food is served, video clips of bands belonging to the genre are displayed, among other forms of entertainment.
The investment will land with three stores in Puerto Iguazú, two of which will be installed in the Iguazú Falls International Airport and another will plant a flag in the city centre.
It is expected that the premises installed on Misiones Avenue will have a capacity for more than 500 clients. It will also have a stage where rock bands from the province, the country, and the world can perform.
The goal is for two of the three stores to be installed this year, and in 2023 the third one will start operating. In this way, a new investment project settles in Puerto Iguazú to provide work for around 160 people in different areas.
The first of the 3 Hard Rock Cafés to be installed in Puerto Iguazú opened its doors at the beginning of October and is located in the facilities of the Iguazú Falls International Airport. Pablo Roca, the representative of the franchise, explained to Misiones Online that in addition to a gastronomic sector with its own menu, there will also be an exclusive shop where people can buy merchandising and other products.
Roca explained that this first Hard Rock Cafe business unit is “divided into two stages, one which is on the ground floor of the airport access, where people do the check-in, there we will have a rock store, where T-shirts and pins are for sale. And the Hard Rock in the boarding area, where people wait to board the plane”.
When asked about the reasons behind the decision to settle in Puerto Iguazú, Roca stated that the franchise has been looking for its place in one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature for many years. “In fact, since the Iguazú Falls were voted one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, Hard Rock is looking to establish itself in the city,” the representative declared.
Currently, the Iguazú National Park, which houses the Iguazú Falls, receives an average of 4,000 visits per day and that number is reflected in the level of occupancy of the city’s hotels and lodgings.
In the words of Leopoldo Lucas, the president of the Iguazú Municipal Tourism Entity (ITUREM), “Tourists are also seen in restaurants, visiting the rest of the attractions, so that is the goal, that they visit the national park but stay in Iguazú and use all our tourist offers”.