Random Restaurant of Starring Bruce Willis And A Bunch Of Celebs in Planet Hollywood (14 items)

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  (#3) Each Restaurant Had Its Own Merch Store

  One way Planet Hollywood initially brought in the dough was with the gift shops attached to its locations. After eating, you could pick up a variety of Planet Hollywood merchandise, including keychains, t-shirts, watches, and leather jackets. The restaurant even briefly had mascots, a dinosaur named Bubba and gorilla named George, now extinct outside of eBay.

  The gift shops were so popular that Planet Hollywood eventually began to open Planet Hollywood Superstores, which only sold the merchandise. 
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  (#12) Planet Hollywood Lost A Lawsuit Against Hard Rock Cafe

  When Planet Hollywood CEO Robert Earl started developing the restaurants, he was still working for Hard Rock Cafe. His partner, Peter Morton, turned a blind eye for a while, but Earl kept planning Planet Hollywood locations very close to Hard Rock Cafe locations, intensifying competition. In 1991, Morton sued Earl and Planet Hollywood for $1.25 billion.

  Morton claimed Earl had stolen trade secrets and tried to copy Hard Rock's success but with "substantially lower quality." Morton won the case, with a settlement rumored to be in the millions.
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  (#14) Bruce Willis Might Have Only Signed On To Get His Band Gigs

  Evidently, a factor that convinced Bruce Willis to sign on as an investor was a promise made by Planet Hollywood co-creator Keith Barish. Willis had recently started a music career, and depending on who tells the story, Barish either promised Willis that his band could play Planet Hollywood openings or that Willis could be the music director for the entire business.

  These proved to be empty promises, and eventually, Willis pulled away from the once-successful chain. 
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  (#8) The Whole Business Went Bankrupt - Twice

  In 1999, Planet Hollywood's stock was de-listed, and the group declared bankruptcy. Robert Earl blamed the rapid expansion as the main reason for the bankruptcy, believing it was a mistake to open so many places. He was able to reorganize, reducing locations from 87 to 35, and the stock was relisted. But just two years later in 2001, Planet Hollywood went bust again.

  This time, the excuse was a reduction in tourism following the attacks of September 11, 2001. The announcement came just a month later in October.  
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  (#7) The More Restaurants Opened, The Worse Things Got

  Once Planet Hollywood became a public company, CEO Robert Earl felt he had to grow the business exponentially to keep stockholders happy. Restaurants opened worldwide by the dozens throughout the late '90s, but this only fueled the problem. Planet Hollywood locations were expensive to launch (estimated at $2 million each), so they took longer to become profitable, meaning the franchise had to debut even more to bring in the desired cash.

  Unfortunately, fewer people started to come, as the novelty wore off and they realized they wouldn't be eating with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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  (#2) The Biggest Names In '90s Movies Funded The Venture

  Keith Barish used his Hollywood contacts to rustle up a group of superstar investors. Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Demi Moore, and Sylvester Stallone held the biggest stakes, and they were sometimes even mistaken for owners. Along with other Hollywood investors, including Whoopi Goldberg and Patrick Swayze, celebrities ultimately made up 17% of the company's ownership.

  Stars were expected to attend openings of new restaurants (for a fee, of course) and occasionally drop in on locations, giving diners the hope they might spot their favorite actors while eating. By all accounts, it was a very faint hope.

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