HARD Rock Cafe bosses closed a recruitment drive to find 80 Glasgow workers after more than 5500 people applied for jobs.

The city's new Hard Rock Cafe is due to open at the former Athenaeum Theatre in Buchanan Street in mid-November.

As reported in the Evening Times, applications opened for budding staff members just over a week ago on September 9 and 4000 people applied for a role in the first 24 hours.

The chain, which has more than 39,000 employees in 50 countries worldwide, received a total of 5560 applicants before the drive was closed at midday on Monday.

A jobs fair was due to be held in the city from Friday, September 27 to Sunday Sepember 29.

However, recruiters made the decision to pull out.

Over the next week applications will be whittled down before interviews begin.

Debbie Galbraith, director of European Human Resources, said they were looking forward to discovering "brilliant new staff".

She said: "Now that the application process has closed, we can get on with the exciting part, finding the brilliant new staff that will become part of the Hard Rock family in Glasgow.

"We have to get 5560 applicants down to the 80 staff that will run the cafe and we can't wait to begin the interview process this week.

"We're hoping to find passionate, rock 'n' roll characters that will make the customer experience at the Hard Rock Cafe, Glasgow unforgettable."

The venue, which is more than 120-years-old, is currently being renovated.

When it opens it will seat 170 people and will showcase rock 'n' roll memorabilia.

Among the treasures on display will be a green suit worn by The Who's Pete Townsend and a guitar that Scots singer KT Tunstall used in her Hold On Video.

rachel.loxton@eveningtimes.co.uk