Planet Hollywood Reboots: Schwarzenegger’s Next‑Gen Fans, ‘90s Menu and Retro Prices Return to NYC
Jaden Patel here. Let’s all take a moment to pretend we’re shocked that a restaurant built on celebrity nostalgia is leaning into nostalgia.
Planet Hollywood reopened in Midtown Manhattan this year and it came with predictable muscle, retro menu deals, and a surprising respect for subway etiquette. The restaurant, which first launched in 1991 on West 57th Street with backing from Hollywood heavyweights, reopened at 136 West 42nd Street in February and has already drawn some familiar faces. Robert Earl, the founder and CEO of Planet Hollywood, confirmed to The Post that Arnold Schwarzenegger visited during the opening and later returned to host a wrap party for a Santa Claus movie he was filming in New York. Schwarzenegger’s presence is hardly a shock, given he was one of the original celebrity investors along with Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Demi Moore.
What is slightly more amusing is the passage of time. The children of those original stars have started showing up on their own. Earl recounted watching Patrick Schwarzenegger arrive alone, refusing an offered car and choosing to take the subway back to his hotel. That anecdote doubles as a human-interest detail and a public relations triumph: celebrity humility checked by the MTA. Patrick, who appeared in Season 3 of The White Lotus earlier this year, represents the second act of a Hollywood dynasty returning to the place that once celebrated their parents.
Earl also mentioned keeping up with Tallulah Willis, who is pursuing a career in art. He floated the idea of exhibiting her work inside the New York restaurant, suggesting Planet Hollywood wants to be more than nostalgia merch and vintage posters; it wants to be a platform for next‑gen creatives. Earl said he plans to reach out to Sylvester Stallone’s daughters—Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet—who have been busy with a reality TV project, but he remains optimistic about bringing them into the fold.
The true headline grabber is Planet Hollywood’s retro menu and prices, which have been resurrected for a limited time. From now until October 22, the chain is offering original 1990s menu items at vintage price points, a marketing move that functions as both a nostalgia bait and an attention-grabbing stunt. Think margherita pasta for $9.95 and a Hollywood club for $8.95, with a turkey burger and fries listed at $7.95. For those keeping score at home, these are Manhattan sit-down-restaurant numbers that read like a time capsule from another economy.
Alongside food deals, there’s a cocktail called “Hasta La Vista Baby” priced at $9.91, an obvious wink to Schwarzenegger’s famous line from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The pricing is meant to shock customers pleasantly; Robert Earl told The Post that it’s fascinating to watch people do a double take when their entree costs less than ten dollars in a Manhattan restaurant that cost $20 million to build. It’s a clever stunt: nostalgia plus improbably low prices equals a social-media moment.
That said, the stunt is temporary and intentionally theatrical. The retro pricing runs only through the restaurant’s 34th anniversary on October 22. After that, the classic menu and historical pricing will likely slide back behind modern economics and the usual New York markups. Until then, Planet Hollywood is selling a simple product: a curated flashback to the 1990s served with celebrity cameos and a side of irony.
So yes, the Governator is back in the building, his offspring are navigating subway rides, and a restaurant is monetizing your childhood. Tune in for the anniversary party and the inevitable Instagram posts. Let’s pretend we learned something today.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, The Post
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
