Now Open: The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines Is the New 1000-Person Brewpub in Surfers Paradise's Old Hard Rock Cafe

Two years after the Hard Rock Cafe on the Gold Coast shut its doors, the site that the bar and eatery called home — and its giant neon guitar, too — has reopened as The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines. A trip to the corner of Cavill Ave and Surfers Paradise Boulevard previously entailed soaking up music history, but now it involves sports, sports and more sports over a brew.

For more than a quarter century, no stint in Surfers Paradise was complete without a sighting of the Hard Rock Cafe's luminous musical instrument. You might not have been heading to the bar and eatery. You mightn't have ever set foot inside it, in fact. But if you were in the vicinity, you still saw the guitar. It also acted as handy meeting point, because everyone — tourists, locals and Brisbanites on weekenders down the coast — could instantly spot it.

In 2022, Hard Rock Cafe said goodbye to its perch in the Paradise Centre. Then, in 2023, it was announced that a brewpub offshoot of sports bar brand The Sporting Globe would take its place, in what marks its second-ever site with 4 Pines Brewing Company. Initially due to launch during summer 2024, it threw open its doors on Friday, June 14 following a $6.5-million makeover.

The prime location has now gained a microbrewery, plus the Gold Coast's largest island bar. 4 Pines is taking care of the former, with 14 of its beers pumping through some of the venue's 80 taps. As well as familiar sips, patrons can enjoy special releases whipped up with Queensland in mind.

Hard Rock Cafe wasn't small — it needed room to fit in all that music memorabilia — and The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines isn't either, accommodating 1000 patrons. The brewpub also features a restaurant slinging pub-style fare such as wings, pulled pork sliders, mac 'n' cheese bites, salt and pepper calamari, steak fries, wedges, loaded nachos and six types of burgers. The range from the grill includes angus rumps, baby back pork ribs by the full and half rack, and a one-kilogram meat board. Opt for a parmigiana instead and you have nine choices — and yes, a cheeseburger version does sound mighty tempting.

Swapping tunes for sports, patrons can now check out their favourite codes on 60-plus high-definition TVs. If you're particularly keen for a big-screen experience, there's a few five-square-metre screens among them.

Although this is just the second The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines brewpub, with the first already operating at King Street Wharf in Sydney, The Sporting Globe brand spans 21 bars around the country. In Queensland, it boasts sites at Robina on the Gold Coast, plus Logan and Chermside in Brisbane, with all The Sporting Globe venues falling under Signature Hospitality Group.

"The growth of The Sporting Globe has been enormous; this was a natural next play. We're offering a unique experience that creates a major win for continued efforts to revitalise and re-establish Surfers as the original and true heart of the Gold Coast," said The Sporting Globe's founder and CEO James Sinclair.

"What's better than catching up with friends over a beer with a front row seat to the best live sports?" added 4 Pines CEO Todd Atkinson. "We can't wait to bring 4 Pines' freshest brews to our new mates in Surfers Paradise."

Find The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines on the corner of Cavill Ave and Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise — operating 10am–late seven days a week. Head to The Sporting Globe's website for further details.