The type of food, the type of people and music. what the decor is like and so on.
/ = interviewer, M = manager
I: The Hard Rock Cafe is one of the best-known theme restaurants in London. How long has it been open?
M: The original Hard Rock Cafe opened in London on June 14th 1971.
I: And what was so different about it al the time it opened?
M: There really wasn't any place lo gel American-style food. (meaning good hamburgers and barbecued ribs and barbecued pork sandwiches) things like that in London at the time. It's hard to believe now but there wasn't any place in find those things then and it was combined with the whole idea of like rock and roll at the time. based on a typical American sort of tnick stop cafe. And it really was unique and that is one of the secrets of its great success.
I: So what kind of clientele, what kind of customers did it originally bring in - the truck drivers?
M: No. originally we had a lot of local English people and a lot of musicians, because they liked the fact that it was relaxed, that it was a lot of fun. that it was a lot of good music being played and that it had a good atmosphere. The ... It became a tourist attraction in later years, but originally it was a lot of local people -
I: And now you've been open a good many years. What sort of things have changed? Is your menu still offering the same sort of food. Do you still have the same sort of music, still the same sort of people? M: The basic spirit of the place hasn't changed. The menu has expanded slightly, while still remaining true to the American cuisine base. We've added a lot of vegetarian items, and some more modem items. But the biggest change has been a lot of vegetarian food- The music - we still play rock music, but obviously rock music's changed, so we play, you know, some of the old music. You'll still hear Chuck Berry and Bo Diddly and Elvis and the Beatles. but you'll also hear Guns and Roses, and U2 and some modem, you know, some more modem rock music. Our customer base has probably widened a lot. We get everyone in there from. you know. grandmas, babies, up to, you know kids, lots of celebrities. lots of musicians and actors and stuff - very, very broad clientele base. I: The Cafe in Park Lane isn't the only one, is it? How many other Hard Rock Cafes are there throughout the world? M: We've got about twenty of them now. there's about twenty of them worldwide. I: Was the Park Lane one the first one? M: Yes, that was the original one. London was the only Hard Rock for, I guess, about six or seven years. I: And whereabouts in the rest of the world are you? M: We have ... we've Just opened in Berlin and Paris. We've ...we are opening in Atlanta in the Slates very soon. We've Cafes in Orlando, Washington D.C., Boston. New York, lots of them. Dallas- I: And is it the same kind of character for every one of them, or does each one have its own theme? M: Each ... each Hard Rock has got its own personality and style. There's a lot of things that are common to all the Hard Rocks. They're all based on the London one - the brass, the dark wood. the wooden floors, the checked tablecloths. that's the same in all of them. the sort of colours and the logo and the menu's very much the same. I: Whenever I've driven past there, there has always been a queue in Park Lane. But do you in fact suffer when times are bad?
M: We're very fortunate in that we suffer less than any other restaurant - definitely in this country, and probably in the whole world from any son of economic recession because going to the Hard Rock is a special thing. It's like. a lot of people might decide that they're going to cut down eating out, but they won't cut down going to the Hard Rock - it's too much fun.
In the Pub
(Making Headway Pre-Int Unit 9)
T. 9a N: Nick D: Dieter
N Hi, Dieter. OK?
D Oh, hi, Nick. Yes, I'm fine, except that I had a big problem ordering my drink. I didn't think my English was so bad! N Your English is very good! What kind of problem? D Well, look at this beer I've got here - this warm, brown, English beer - it wasn't what I wanted! N Why, what did you ask for? D Well, I just asked for a small beer. Then the barman asked what type of beer and said lots of names that I didn't understand - and something about a pie or a pine. I didn't
understand anything! N Oh, no! He probably said a pint! In English you don't ask for a big or a small beer. You ask for either a pint or a half. A pint's the big one. D So this one I've got here is a half? N Yes, that's a half of bitter. Bitter's the name for that type of beer. D Ah, that's what he said - bitter! Well, it's very different from the beer we drink in Germany, I must say. N Yes, I know. We call the German type of beer lager. So you have to ask for a half of lager, or a pint of lager. D OK. I understand that now. My other problem was chips. I asked for a packet of chips, and the barman said something strange - that they don't have chips in the evening, only at lunch-time. What did he mean? N Yes, they have fish and chips, but I think you meant crisps. In England, chips are fried potatoes, you know, French fries. The ones you buy in a packet are crisps. D Well, in the end I didn't get anything to eat. So you see, I did everything wrong! N Well, never mind. You can practise now by buying me a drink - a pint of bitter, please.
D You mean you choose to drink this warm horrible stuff? So I ask for a pint of bitter, a half of lager, and a packet of crisps. Is that all right? N Absolutely perfect, but ask for two packets of crisps. I'm hungry. Good luck! D Thank you.
Tapescript 9b B: Barman D: Dieter
B Yes, please? D Can I have a pint of bitter, a half of lager, and two packets of crisps, please? B A pint of lager, did you say? D No. a half, please. B And how many packets of crisps? D Two. please.
B Plain, or cheese and onion? D Er, plain, please. B That's two pounds forty-four, please.
Friends for dinner
(Making Headway Pre-Int Unit 10)
Tapescript 10 a
A I'm coming! I'm just making the salad! B Let me take your coats. F Oh, thanks. 2
A Hi!
T Hi, Anna.
F How are you? These are for you, Anna. A Oh. flowers! How lovely! Thank you so much. Would you like to come and sit down?
3.
B Would you like something to drink? F Yes, please. Can I have a glass of wine? B Er, yes, sure. Red or white? F White, please.
B OK, a glass of white wine. And for you, Tom? I I'll have a mineral water, please. B Right. Um ... Anna, have we got any mineral water? A Yes, I think so.
F Anna, do you need any help? A No, it's OK, thanks.
A Well, here it is.
F Mm. That looks delicious!
A I hope it is! It's something Hungarian. We call it paprikas csirke'. (/pa:prika:s tJi:rke/) I And what's that exactly? A It's chicken with paprika and cream. I hope you like it.
A Fiona, would you like some more? F No, thanks, really. I couldn't. That was lovely! A Oh, thank you. Tom? A little more for you? T Well, just a little, thanks.
T Yes... Fiona, what time is it? F Oh! It's quarter past twelve! I Oh, it's late. We must go.
F Yes, well. Thank you for having us. It was lovely. A Thank you for coming. B Yes, it was nice to see you again.
Tapescript 10b
B:Bruce T: Tom F: Fiona A: Anna
a. B Come in! T Thanks. b. B Would you like something to drink? F Yes, please. Can I have a glass of wine? c. F Do you need any help? A No, it's OK, thanks. d. F Mm. That looks delicious! A I hope it is! It's something Hungarian, e. F That was iovely! A Oh, thank you. f. A Would you like some more? F No, thanks, really.
T Well, just a little, thanks. g. F Thank you for having us. A Thank you for coming.
