Not to be outdone, fellow patron Pete Townshend offered for display a modified Gibson Les Paul, with a note reading, “Mine’s as good as his! Love, Pete.” Tigrett instead suggested they hang one of his guitars, and Clapton obliged by sending over a Fender Lead II from his collection. Its American menu and decor highlighted by pop-culture memorabilia proved popular, and the vibe attracted local musicians including Eric Clapton, who in 1979 asked to hang a plaque above his preferred seat. Unlike most London bars and restaurants at the time, the Hard Rock welcomed all people, regardless of race, creed, or pedigree. The young Americans couldn’t have known that their establishment would become a cultural equalizer. When Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett opened the first Hard Rock Cafe in London’s Mayfair district in 1971, they simply wanted to introduce American culture and cuisine – good ol’ cheesburgers, fries, and milkshakes – to the staid land of fish and chips. “A lot of people think I go in with an open checkbook, but that’s not the case we’re very strategic.”
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