Founder & Chairman, Earl Enterprises and Planet Hollywood® International, Inc. and Virtual Dining Concepts®

Recognized as a leading figure in the hospitality, lodging, gaming and food & beverage industries, Robert Earl is the founder and Chairman of Earl Enterprises® and Planet Hollywood® International, Inc. and Virtual Dining Concepts®.

Earl was born in the Hendon section of London, United Kingdom, on 29 May,1951. In 1977 Earl founded President Entertainment, a British company specializing in theme restaurants that grew from a modest start-up to a company valued at more than $100 million when he agreed to sell the company to Pleasurama in 1998. Earl was invited by Pleasurama to join its executive team and orchestrated the acquisition of Hard Rock Café. During his five-year tenure as the CEO of Hard Rock Café, Earl oversaw the expansion of the brand from its initial seven units to 22 units, and dramatically increased the Company’s profitability. This growth was a direct result of aggressive marketing and positive press that capitalized on Earl’s vision to use the allure of celebrities and creative events to earn Hard Rock Café a mystique that separated it from its competition.

In 1991, Earl founded the Planet Hollywood® brand and brought theme dining to a new level. As CEO of Planet Hollywood® International, Inc., Earl negotiated celebrity partnerships and orchestrated Hollywood-style premiere grand openings. With his expertise in creating a fully integrated and unique dining experience Earl created a brand that achieved global acclaim in just a few short years.

Earl announced a partnership with Lord Sandwich, the 11th Earl of Sandwich, to launch Earl of Sandwich® shops in the United States in 2003. The first gourmet sandwich shop opened in March 2004, at Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort in Disney Springs™. Outlets are now open in major tourist destinations including Disneyland® Village Paris, New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, on the grounds of the historic Boston Common, in Anaheim at Downtown Disney®, Harrahs Resorts in California and North Carolina, at a variety of airports and Turnpike rest areas in Florida, Winnipeg, Canada and Manila, Philippines.
In June 2003, Earl purchased the Aladdin Resort and Casino located in the heart of the famed Las Vegas Strip. After a complete head-to-toe renovation, the Planet Hollywood® Resort & Casino was launched in 2007. The 2,600-room property features super-star headliners in its 7000 seat Zappos Theater, highly coveted restaurants and lounges, a full-service spa and gym and a high-tech gaming floor. In early 2010 Earl sold the Planet Hollywood® Resort & Casino to Caesars Entertainment and remains actively involved in the operation and strategic marketing of the property and retains ownership of the Planet Hollywood® brand.

In 2016, Earl began a partnership with acclaimed celebrity chef Guy Fieri who designed the new sandwich and burger menu for Planet Hollywood® restaurants. Earl and Fieri partnered up again in 2018 to open Chicken Guy!® Under the Earl Enterprises umbrella with its flagship location inside Disney Springs™ and other locations open inside Aventura Mall, in the Treats Food Hall and 2 locations in NFL stadiums, Levi’s Stadium and Fed-Ex Field and more opening very soon including Mall of America, Nashville, Boston and South Florida.

True to his entrepreneurial spirit, Earl has distinguished himself as an industry leader in expanding on the latest trend of virtual kitchens. In 2019 Earl launched Virtual Dining Concepts® (VDC) featuring virtual brands including: Tyga Bites™, Wing Squad™, P.ZA™, Mariah Cookies™, MrBeast Burger™, Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen™, Mario’s Tortas Lopez™, Pauly D’s Subs™, NASCAR Refuel™, with many more launching in 2021. All VDC brands are designed to be delivery only, and are available to order online through their individual websites, proprietary apps, and via most major third-party delivery services.

Earl’s restaurant collection includes Planet Hollywood®, Bertucci’s®, Earl of Sandwich®, Asian Street Eats™, Chicken Guy!®, Seaside on the Pier™, Rock & Reilly’s®, Warrior™, Tequila Taqueria™ and in 2020, Earl acquired two additional brands specializing in Italian Cuisine, Brio® Italian Grille and Bravo!® Italian Kitchen.

Increasing his involvement in the lodging industry, Earl partnered with Sunwing Travel Group, North America’s largest vertically integrated travel company, and in 2018 opened the all-inclusive Planet Hollywood® Beach Resort in Costa Rica to great acclaim followed by the opening in January 2021 of Planet Hollywood® Beach Resort Cancun. Earl also partnered with the Planet Hollywood® Beach Resort in Goa, India.

Earl’s involvement in the entertainment industry includes producing the films “Dirty Weekend”, “Wild Card” the blockbusters “The Expendables” 1, 2, and 3 and “Mechanic: Resurrection.” As a recognized expert on the hospitality industry Mr. Earl has hosted Cooking Channel’s “Robert Earl’s Be My Guest” and has appeared as panelist on Food Network’s “Food Fortunes” and as a judge on TNT’s “On The Menu.”

Earl resides in Orlando, Florida. He and his wife Tricia have three children, Beth, Cara and Robbie, and four grandchildren.