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Rainforest Cafe

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Rainforest Cafe is a jungle-themed restaurant chain owned by Landry's, Inc., of Houston. The first location opened in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, on February 3, 1994. By 1997, the chain consisted of six restaurants, all in the United States. The first international location opened in London, England in June 1997. In 1998, it was planned to build 12 additional restaurants in the United States, seven in Mexico, and five in the United Kingdom, for a total of 22 restaurants by 2008.[2]

Rainforest Cafe
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryRestaurants
FoundedFebruary 3, 1994; 30 years ago (1994-02-03), Bloomington, Minnesota
FounderSteven Schussler
Headquarters
Houston, Texas
,
United States
Number of locations
23 restaurants
Area served
  • Canada
  • France
  • Japan
  • Malta
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United States
Key people
Steven Schussler, Founder
Tilman J. Fertitta Chairman, President, and Chief executive officer
ProductsPasta, Seafood, Salad, Sandwiches, Dessert; Merchandise[1]
ParentIndependent (1994-2000) Landry's Restaurants (2000-Present)
Websiterainforestcafe.com
A neon-sign welcomes visitors to Rainforest Cafe, located inside the Great Lakes Crossing Outlets shopping complex in Auburn Hills, Michigan in 2016
An example of the canopy ceiling including artificial trees and foliage for the Rainforest Cafe at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2008

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.[3] To date, the company owns restaurants in the United States, Canada, France, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Malta. Rainforest Cafe focuses on local tourism for a majority of their income.[2]

Exterior of the Rainforest Cafe in Galveston, Texas in 2010

Design

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Each Rainforest Cafe restaurant is designed to depict the atmosphere of a tropical rainforest, including fake plants, fog machines, waterfalls, and rainforest animals. The ceiling and much of the walls are lined with artificial foliage, while lower areas and booth seating are decorated with faux rock. Brick textures suggest ancient ruins, and support pillars are made to look like tree trunks. Often, there is a waterfall with a fountain in the dining area, with a statue depicting Atlas holding up the Earth to communicate a conservation message. Papier-mâché birds and butterflies are suspended from the trees, and other whimsical rainforest creatures are mounted, as though climbing on the walls or peeking through the foliage. The ceiling above the center of the dining room features a simulated starry night sky, designed and manufactured by Fiber Optic Systems Inc., located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.[4] The bar area is situated under a gigantic mushroom, partitioned from the rest of the restaurant by a rain curtain. The chain is known for its characteristic bar stools, made to resemble the legs of animals, designed and sculpted by the artist Glenn Carter.[5] Fish tanks with tropical reef fish are spread throughout the restaurant and the gift shop space. Periodically, a simulated thunderstorm will occur every few minutes, with strobe lights and thunder effects through subwoofers.

 
Rainforest Cafe at Disney's Animal Kingdom in 2002

Animatronic animals are spread throughout the restaurant. These include butterflies, elephants, gorillas, leopards, orangutans, chimpanzees, macaws, monkeys and tigers, though this will vary by location. The restaurant is laid out so that these animals are set off the ground and are largely above diners' heads, not only allowing them to be seen from farther away, but making them appear larger as well. A crocodile and a python are often located in the gift shop area to attract the attention of passersby. Tracy Tree, an animated tree face, sits inside the shop and provides rainforest facts. The animals are manufactured by Russells Creative, LLC, of Apopka, Florida, formerly UCFab International.[6]

A retail village is located in front of the dining area with an assortment of souvenirs that are rainforest-themed or are branded with the Rainforest Cafe logo, mostly printed by the Atlanta-based fashion apparel company Boxercraft Inc.[7] A small water feature with an animatronic crocodile (a hippo in Nashville) is located just outside the shop, in which visitors are invited to toss coins.

Rainforest Cafe also has a set of eight animal mascots, called "The Wild Bunch". These characters include Cha! Cha!, the red-eyed tree frog; Maya, the jaguar; Rio, the macaw; Tuki, the elephant; Ozzie, the orangutan; Bamba, the gorilla; Iggy, the iguana; and Nile, the crocodile. These eight characters may be represented on children's menus, merchandise, or the company logo.[7]

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Rainforest Cafe serves typical American chain restaurant fare, such as burgers, chicken, pastas, and seafood, with the addition of some Mexican food to reflect the tropical theme. Their signature dessert, called a volcano cake, consists of chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream topped with a lit sparkler.[1]

The restaurant also serves alcoholic beverages, some of which are reminiscent of those associated with tiki culture such as the Mai Tai.

Locations

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U.S. locations

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International locations

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Merchandise locations

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Former locations

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Rainforest Cafe". Landry's Inc. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Rainforest Cafe". The River Walk Guide. The San Antonio River Walk Guide. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  3. ^ "Landry's, Inc – Finding Success on All Fronts". Who We Are. Landry's Inc. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  4. ^ "Retail and Commercial Projects". Client List. Fiber Optic Systems, Inc. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  5. ^ "Bellevue sculptor goes down the rabbit hole". Idaho Mountain Express. April 8, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  6. ^ "Furry Creatures". UCFab International. UCFab International, LLC. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ a b Cooper, Janice. "Rainforest Cafe - A Wild Experience". RateIt. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  8. ^ Phillips, Justin (October 2, 2017). "Rainforest Cafe shuts down in San Francisco". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Locations". Rainforest Cafe. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  10. ^ "Rainforest Café – MGM Grand Hotel & Casino". pennycollector.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  11. ^ "Yorkdale Shopping Center – Rainforest Cafe". Pennycollector.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016.
  12. ^ "Rainforest Cafe @ South Coast Plaza Mall". Pennycollector.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016.
  13. ^ "Rainforest Cafe @ Oak Park Mall". Pennycollector.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016.
  14. ^ "Rainforest Cafe @ Towson Town Center". Pennycollector.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016.
  15. ^ "West Farms Mall – Rainforest Cafe". Pennycollector.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2016.
  16. ^ "Rainforest Cafe @ Franklin Mills Mall". Pennycollector.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016.
  17. ^ "Westfield South Center Mall – Rainforest Cafe". Pennycollector.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016.
  18. ^ "Mall of America – Rainforest Cafe". Pennycollector.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016.
  19. ^ LaFratta, Kristin (December 20, 2018). "40 Massachusetts malls and shopping centers ranked from the worst to the best". MassLive. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  20. ^ Annemarie, Moody (July 28, 2009). "New Season of Curious George Teaches Preschoolers About Health and Fitness". Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  21. ^ McCormack, Olivia (August 14, 2023). "He ate at 22 Margaritavilles — and learned the joy of Jimmy Buffett". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  22. ^ Stangland, Sean (July 7, 2022). "A YouTube gem goes to Gurnee and beyond: 18 Rainforest Cafes in 3 weeks". The Daily Herald. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  23. ^ Johnson, Stephen (July 8, 2022). "The Out-of-Touch Adults' Guide to Kid Culture: Why Are 'Gentleminions' Being Banned?". Lifehacker. Viral video of the week. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  24. ^ Maxwell, Samantha (December 15, 2022). "Rainforest Cafe and the Enduring Appeal of Experiential Chain Restaurants". Thrillist. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
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