Rainforest Cafe
 | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | Minneapolis, Minnesota (1994) |
| Founder(s) | Steven Schussler |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Number of locations | 32 restaurants |
| Key people |
Steven Schussler, Founder Tilman J. Fertitta Chairman, President, and CEO |
| Products | Pasta, Seafood, Salad, Sandwiches, Dessert; Merchandise[1] |
| Revenue |
 US $108 million (1997)[2] |
| Net income |
$12 million (1997)[3] |
| Parent | Landry's Restaurants |
| Website | RainforestCafe.com |
Rainforest Cafe is a themed restaurant chain owned by Landry's, Inc. of Houston, Texas. It was founded by entrepreneur Steven Schussler. The first location opened in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on February 3, 1994. In 1997, the chain consisted of only six restaurants, all in the United States. In 1998, the plan was to build 10 additional restaurants in the United States, seven in Mexico and five in the UK over the decade.[4]
In 2000, the Rainforest Cafe was bought by Landry's Restaurants Inc., a company specializing in dining, hospitality, entertainment, and gaming, based in Houston, Texas.[5] To date the company owns restaurants in the United States, Mexico, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Rainforest Cafe focuses on local tourism for a majority of their income.[6]
Themed ambience
Each Rainforest Cafe restaurant is designed to depict some features of a rainforest, including plant growth, mist, waterfalls, animatronic robots of animals and insects. Some animals include elephants, gorillas, jaguars and the recently added tigers. To enhance this theme, the restaurants are populated by animatronic figures, manufactured by UCFab International, LLC of Apopka, Florida.[7] The star ceilings are designed and manufactured by Fiber Optic Systems Inc, located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.[8]
The restaurants are partitioned into several rooms by means of rain curtains that fall into basins running along the tops of partition walls and booths and aquatic tanks. The Rainforest Cafe serves food ranging from seafood, beef, and chicken to pastas and pizzas.[9] There is also the tradition of yelling "volcano!" when somebody orders a "volcano" sundae.[10]
The staff of Rainforest Cafe are named in accordance with the safari theme. Waiters are called Safari Guides, hosts and hostesses are Tour Guides, sales clerks are Pathfinders, bartenders are Navigators, bussers are Safari Assistants and kitchen staff are Trailblazers. Rainforest Cafe restaurants have a gift shop, where rainforest themed merchandise is sold. Mostly printed by Atlanta based fashion apparel company, Boxercraft Inc.[11]
In all restaurants, located in the Retail Village, Rainforest Cafe has an animatronic tree named "Tracy the Talking Tree." The tree entertains guests every 5 minutes educating them about the rainforest.[12]
Locations
American locations
(*U.S. restaurants officially generate $80 million in annual revenue for Disney.)
- Anaheim, California – Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort*
- Lake Buena Vista, Florida – Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort*
- Lake Buena Vista, Florida – Downtown Disney at Disney World Marketplace opened on August 6, 1996, with about 450 seats [1] *
- Sunrise, Florida – Sawgrass Mills
- Bloomington, Minnesota – Mall of America opened on October 3, 1994 with 295 seats, also the first location.
- Tukwila, Washington – Westfield Southcenter
- San Francisco – Fisherman's Wharf
- Ontario, California – Ontario Mills
- Tempe, Arizona – Arizona Mills
- Las Vegas – MGM Grand Las Vegas
- Grapevine, Texas – Grapevine Mills
- Katy, Texas – Katy Mills
- Galveston, Texas
- San Antonio, Texas – River Walk
- Houston, Texas – Houston Galleria
- Chicago, Illinois – Downtown Chicago
- Gurnee, Illinois – Gurnee Mills
- Schaumburg, Illinois – Woodfield Mall
- Auburn Hills, Michigan – Detroit area – Great Lakes Crossing
- Nashville, Tennessee – Opry Mills
- Atlantic City, New Jersey – Trump Plaza
- Edison, New Jersey – Menlo Park Mall
- Burlington, Massachusetts – Burlington Mall [13]
International locations
- Toronto, Canada – Yorkdale Shopping Centre(Closed)
- Niagara Falls, Canada – Niagara Falls
- Tokyo, Japan – Ikspiari Shopping Mall near Tokyo Disney Resort
- London, United Kingdom – Piccadilly Circus
- Paris, France – Disneyland Resort Paris
- Dubai, U.A.E. – The Dubai Mall
Former locations
- Costa Mesa, California – South Coast Plaza (Closed in 2013)
- Aventura, Florida - Aventura Mall (Closed in 2000)
- Overland Park, Kansas - Oak Park Mall (Closed in 2009)
- Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong - Festival Walk (Opened November 24, 1998; Closed in the 2000s (decade))
- Norfolk, Virginia - MacArthur Center (Closed in 2001)
- Tysons Corner, Virginia - Tysons Corner Center (Closed in 2007)
- Westbury, New York - The Source Mall (Closed in 2000)
- West Nyack, New York - Palisades Center (Closed in 2002, replaced by The Cheesecake Factory)
- New York, New York - Times Square (Closing Date Unknown - please update)
- Denver, Colorado - Cherry Creek Shopping Center
- Towson, Maryland - Towson Town Center
- Scarborough, Ontario - Scarborough Town Centre
- Trafford Centre - Manchester
- Burnaby, British Columbia - Metropolis at Metrotown
- Mexico City, Mexico – Metropol Entertainment Central
- Cancun, Mexico – Plaza Forum By The Sea
- Tlalnepantla, Mexico – Mundo E
- Mexico City, Mexico – Centro Santa Fe
- Istanbul, Turkey - İstinye Park (Closed in 2010)
- Farmington, Connecticut – Westfarms Mall (Closed in 2013)
- Cairo, Egypt - City Stars Mall[14]
- Concord, New Hampshire -Steeplegate Mall
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Franklin Mills Mall (Closed in the late 1990's)
References
- ↑ "Rainforest Cafe". Landry's Inc. Landry's Inc. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ↑ "Rainforest Cafe, Inc. History". Funding Universe. Funding Universe. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ↑ "Rainforest Cafe, Inc. History". Funding Universe. Funding Universe. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ↑ "Rainforest Cafe". The River Walk Guide. The San Antonio River Walk Guide. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "Landry’s, Inc – Finding Success on All Fronts". Who We Are. Landry's Inc. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "Rainforest Cafe". The River Walk Guide. The San Antonio River Walk Guide. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "Furry Creatures". UCFab International. UCFab International, LLC. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
- ↑ "Retail and Commercial Projects". Client List. Fiber Optic Systems, Inc. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
- ↑ "Rainforest Cafe". Landry's Inc. Landry's Inc. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ↑ "Dinnertime In The Wild Jungle". TPI ORLANDO - Rainforest Cafe. Theme Park Insider. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
- ↑ Cooper, Janice. "Rainforest Cafe - A Wild Experience". RateIt. RateIt. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
- ↑ "It;s a Jungle In There: Rainforest Cafe". Press Releases. Landry's Inc. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ↑ "Locations". Rainforest Cafe. Rainforest Cafe. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
- ↑ "Locations". Rainforest Cafe. Rainforest Cafe. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rainforest Cafe. |
International sites
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