Rainforest
A jungle-themed restaurant chain combining American casual dining with immersive rainforest scenery, animatronics, sound effects, retail, and family entertainment.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Rainforest Cafe is a jungle-themed restaurant and entertainment brand founded by Steven Schussler. Its first restaurant opened on February 3, 1994, at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Rather than presenting itself as a conventional casual-dining chain, the concept was designed as a theatrical destination: diners enter an artificial tropical environment containing dense foliage, faux rockwork, waterfalls, fish tanks, fog, simulated storms, large animal figures, and recurring sound and lighting effects. The format was particularly suited to shopping malls, resort districts, theme-park destinations, and other locations where restaurants benefit from tourism and family foot traffic. The brand's central commercial proposition is the combination of food, spectacle, and merchandise. Its menu is built around familiar American chain-restaurant categories, including burgers, chicken, pasta, seafood, salads, desserts, and alcoholic beverages, with selected Mexican and tropical influences. A signature dessert is the Volcano, generally presented as chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream with a decorative effect suggesting an erupting volcano. The restaurants also commonly include a retail area selling branded apparel, toys, souvenirs, and rainforest-themed gifts. This retail village extends the brand beyond the meal and gives visitors a reason to enter even when they are not dining. Rainforest Cafe expanded quickly during the 1990s. By 1997 it had six United States restaurants, and its first international location opened in London in June of that year. Additional restaurants followed in major American malls, Disney-related destinations, tourist districts, and international shopping complexes. The chain's sites have included Disney Springs and Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida, Disneyland Paris's Disney Village, Tokyo Disney Resort's Ikspiari complex, Niagara Falls, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Malta. The footprint has changed substantially over time, with numerous mall and city-center restaurants closing while selected high-tourism locations remained in operation. In 2000, Landry's Restaurants Inc. acquired Rainforest Cafe. Landry's, headquartered in Houston, operates a broad portfolio spanning restaurants, hospitality, entertainment, and gaming. Under Landry's ownership, Rainforest Cafe became one of the group's recognizable experiential dining concepts. The brand's model relies heavily on tourism, destination retail, themed entertainment, and family occasions rather than only on repeat neighborhood dining. As a result, restaurant performance and location strategy are closely tied to mall traffic, theme-park visitation, resort activity, and local tourism. The visual identity is built around a repeatable set of theatrical elements. Artificial plants cover ceilings and walls; tree-trunk pillars, ruins, caves, mushrooms, rain curtains, and water features create a fabricated jungle setting. Animatronic animals may include elephants, gorillas, leopards, orangutans, chimpanzees, jaguars, lemurs, macaws, monkeys, pandas, tigers, crocodiles, hippos, and snakes, although the selection varies by location. Periodic thunder, flashes, and subwoofer effects simulate a tropical storm. A talking tree named Tracy Tree provides rainforest information in the retail area, while the eight-member Wild Bunch mascot group supports children's menus, merchandise, and brand storytelling. Rainforest Cafe has also developed a recognizable conservation-oriented layer through design elements such as the Atlas figure holding the globe and the message “Rescue the Rainforest.” The concept does not operate primarily as an environmental organization; instead, conservation language functions as part of the restaurant's atmosphere and family education appeal. In the 2020s, online creator coverage of the chain, including a North American location-tour project, contributed to renewed cultural interest in the brand among younger internet audiences. Rainforest Cafe remains an active Landry's brand, although its current location portfolio and operating details can change as leases and tourism patterns evolve.
History
Steven Schussler created Rainforest Cafe as a restaurant concept centered on the theatrical presentation of a tropical rainforest. The first site opened at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, on February 3, 1994. Its design differentiated it from standard family restaurants by making the interior itself a major attraction. Artificial vegetation, rock formations, waterfalls, fish tanks, fog, lighting, sound effects, and large animal figures were combined to create a simulated jungle environment. The concept expanded through the American shopping-mall and tourism economy of the mid-1990s. New locations appeared at major malls and destination complexes, including Gurnee Mills, Disney Springs, Ontario Mills, Sawgrass Mills, Grapevine Mills, Arizona Mills, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Great Lakes Crossing. By 1997, the chain had six restaurants in the United States. Its first international restaurant opened in London in June 1997, establishing a model that combined retail tourism, family entertainment, and themed dining in international markets. Expansion plans during the late 1990s contemplated additional restaurants in the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. The brand subsequently opened in numerous locations across North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean-adjacent tourism market. Restaurants appeared in Disney Village at Disneyland Paris, Ikspiari at Tokyo Disney Resort, Niagara Falls, Mexico, Hong Kong, Turkey, Egypt, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Malta. The international portfolio was not permanent: some locations closed as leases expired, landlords redeveloped properties, or local operating conditions changed. In 2000, Landry's Restaurants Inc. acquired the chain. Landry's is based in Houston, Texas, and operates businesses in dining, hospitality, entertainment, and gaming. The acquisition placed Rainforest Cafe within a diversified hospitality group and supported the brand's continued operation in selected high-traffic locations. The chain's restaurants have generally been associated with tourism and destination retail, and its commercial model depends substantially on visitors seeking an attraction as well as a meal. The restaurant environment remained the brand's principal asset. Interiors commonly feature foliage-covered walls and ceilings, faux ruins, tree-like structural elements, a giant mushroom over the bar, a rain curtain, tropical aquariums, and an artificial night sky. Simulated storms occur periodically through strobe lighting, thunder, and bass effects. Animatronic animals are positioned above diners and around retail areas to maximize visibility and create a sense of scale. A talking tree called Tracy Tree communicates rainforest facts, and a set of eight animal characters known as the Wild Bunch supports children's menus and merchandise. Food and retail provide the repeatable operating framework around the spectacle. Menus generally use American casual-dining staples such as burgers, chicken, pasta, seafood, salads, and desserts, complemented by tropical drinks, selected Mexican-influenced items, and alcoholic beverages. The Volcano dessert is a signature presentation. Retail shops sell logo apparel, toys, plush animals, souvenirs, and other rainforest-themed goods, allowing the brand to monetize both diners and passersby. The chain's location history illustrates the volatility of themed restaurant expansion. Several early sites in malls and urban districts closed, including restaurants in Chicago, San Francisco, Anaheim, Toronto, London, Dubai Mall, and other markets. At the same time, locations connected to major tourism hubs and resort ecosystems continued to define the brand's presence. In 2022, online videos documenting visits to every North American location generated renewed public discussion and introduced the chain to a younger audience. Rainforest Cafe remains an active Landry's brand, with its identity anchored in immersive family entertainment and destination dining.
- 2022
North American location tour gains online attention
[1]Creators Eddy Burback and Ted Nivison published videos documenting visits to all North American locations, producing renewed online interest.
- 2021
Malta location opens
[1]A restaurant opened in St. Julian's, Malta, extending the brand's presence in a major tourism market.
- 2020
Middle Eastern expansion
[1]Locations opened at Dubai Festival City and Abu Dhabi's Yas Mall, while the earlier Dubai Mall site closed.
- 2000
Acquired by Landry's
[1]Landry's Restaurants Inc. acquired Rainforest Cafe and incorporated it into its broader hospitality portfolio.
- 2000
Tokyo-area location opens
[1]A Rainforest Cafe opened at Ikspiari in Urayasu, Japan, on July 7.
- 1997
First international location opens in London
[1]Rainforest Cafe opened its first international restaurant in London in June and had six United States restaurants by that year.
- 1996
Expansion reaches major American mall and resort markets
[1]The chain opened restaurants at Gurnee Mills, Disney Springs, Ontario Mills, and Sawgrass Mills.
- 1994
First restaurant opens at Mall of America
[1]Steven Schussler's first Rainforest Cafe opened on February 3 at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Products and positioning
Family-friendly experiential restaurant and tourist attraction
Restaurant menu · 1994
American casual-dining menu
Rainforest Cafe serves familiar chain-restaurant fare including burgers, chicken, pasta, seafood, salads, appetizers, and selected Mexican- or tropical-influenced dishes. The menu is designed to accommodate families and tourists rather than specialize in a narrow cuisine. Beverage options include soft drinks, tropical presentations, and alcoholic cocktails with some tiki-style associations.
Dessert
Volcano
The Volcano is the chain's signature dessert presentation. It combines a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and a decorative topping intended to evoke an erupting volcano. The dessert reinforces the restaurant's theatrical identity and is commonly associated with celebratory family visits.
Retail · 1994
Rainforest-themed merchandise
Many locations include a retail village selling logo apparel, plush animals, toys, souvenirs, and rainforest-themed gifts. Merchandise often uses the chain's animal characters and visual motifs, allowing the brand to generate sales from visitors who may not dine in the restaurant.
Brand characters
Wild Bunch characters
The Wild Bunch is a group of eight animal mascots: 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. The characters appear in children's materials, merchandise, and brand communications.
Marketing campaigns
- Rescue the Rainforest
International
Conservation messaging is incorporated into the restaurant environment, including imagery of Atlas holding a globe and the phrase “Rescue the Rainforest.” The message functions as an environmental and educational theme within the dining experience.
- Curious George sponsorship
United States
Rainforest Cafe sponsored Curious George programming on PBS Kids, following earlier sponsorship by Amazon Grocery and Shea Homes.
Brand decisions
2020
Concentrate selected international operations in tourism hubsStrategyBackground
The chain had experienced both international expansion and closures of individual sites in changing retail and tourism environments.
Action taken
New locations opened in Dubai Festival City and Abu Dhabi's Yas Mall, while the Dubai Mall restaurant closed.
Aftermath
The location pattern reinforced the brand's emphasis on destination retail and tourism-oriented venues.
2016
Relocate the original Mall of America restaurantStrategyBackground
The original Bloomington restaurant had operated on the first floor of Mall of America since 1994.
Action taken
The restaurant relocated to the mall's third floor on January 22, 2016.
Aftermath
The original first-floor site closed while the Rainforest Cafe continued operating elsewhere in the mall.
2000
Join the Landry's restaurant portfolioM&ABackground
Rainforest Cafe had expanded from its original Mall of America concept into a multi-location themed restaurant chain.
Action taken
Landry's Restaurants Inc. acquired the brand.
Aftermath
Rainforest Cafe continued as a Landry's brand within a broader group focused on dining, hospitality, entertainment, and gaming.
Recent events
- 2022
Online location-tour videos renew interest in Rainforest Cafe[1]
Campaign · Other
YouTube creators Eddy Burback and Ted Nivison documented visits to every Rainforest Cafe location in North America across two widely circulated videos, helping bring renewed attention to the chain among younger internet audiences.
- 2020
Rainforest Cafe locations continue to shift toward major tourism destinations[1]
Other
The chain maintained or added locations in tourism-oriented markets such as Dubai Festival City, Abu Dhabi's Yas Mall, and other destination venues while numerous older mall and city-center restaurants closed.
- 2000
Landry's acquires Rainforest Cafe[1]
M&A
Landry's Restaurants Inc. purchased Rainforest Cafe, bringing the themed restaurant chain into a larger dining, hospitality, entertainment, and gaming portfolio.
Sources2 sources
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