International brand Hard Rock Cafe will open their doors in a new location less than an hour away from Carlisle later this month.

The new café, which will be the first Hard Rock location in the North East of England, is set to open in Newcastle at the Quayside’s Guildhall.

Spread over two floors in the Grade I listed building, the popular chain is set to be able host 180 people and it’ll also feature a unique ‘Whey Aye Burger’ on its menu to pay homage to the North East city.

The burger is set to feature Northumberland cheese, Newcastle Brown Ale onion compote, cheddar cheese and pease pudding beignet as well as horseradish cream with a spring onion with the meal being served in a toasted charcoal and sesame seed bun.

As well as their world-famous burgers, the café is also set to feature meals including steak, chicken and California-style cobb which is chicken with roasted corn, Monterey Jack cheese and black beans.

"Opening Hard Rock Cafe Newcastle during 2021 has been a huge challenge for our partners, and we feel extremely proud to finally be able to announce the opening of this iconic cafe in the beautiful city of Newcastle," said Anibal Fernandez, the Vice President of Franchise Operations at Hard Rock International.

"We will be opening our doors with Hard Rock's stringent and awarded ‘SAFE + SOUND’ programme developed by a team of hospitality experts in collaboration with worldwide health and sanitation specialists, such as Ecolab and NSF, including directives from key agencies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“We look forward once more to welcoming our Hard Rock fans in Newcastle, United Kingdom, in a ‘Safe & Sound’ environment."

As well as food, the location is also set to offer a range of drinks as part of its menu including beers wines and also both ‘boozy milkshake’s’ and signature cocktails, one of which is called Hurricane.

The 1940s New Orleans drink contains Bacardi Superior Rum, pineapple juice, a blend of orange, mango, and grenadine, as well as Captain Morgan Dark Rum and Amaretto.

Hard Rock Café has often been rumoured to be making an appearance in Newcastle, and it has now finally happened thanks to David and Penny Tilly.

The healthcare entrepreneurs, along with both NGI and NE1, are hoping that the franchise will be a success once its opens its doors.

“It’s been quite a rocky road what with the obstacles that inevitably come with listed buildings and, of course, a global pandemic,” added Penny.

“But Hard Rock has been incredibly supportive. As everyone knows, their standards are incredibly high, but they’ve backed us to the hilt and now we just want to see people’s faces when they see it.

“I think they’ll be blown away – and it’s a great coup for the city to have the first ever Hard Rock Cafe in the North East of England.”

As well as the café itself, the premises will also be home to a Hard Rock Café Rock Shop selling merchandise and clothing.