Mall owner counterclaim: Hard Rock Cafe used pandemic as excuse to close

This story first ran on BusinessDen.com, a BizWest news partner. 

Hard Rock Cafe can’t always get what it wants, according to its Denver landlord, who is fighting the restaurant chain’s bid to have its 16th Street Mall lease terminated.

In a counterclaim filed last week, Denver Pavilions OwnerCo LLC — the owner of the Denver Pavilions Mall — said the Florida-based restaurant’s struggles predated the coronavirus, and Hard Rock “is using the pandemic as a pretext in a cynical attempt to cut costs company-wide.”

“Hard Rock STP has used the pandemic as an excuse to shutter its Denver business and threaten DPO with economic harm unless…