We’re back with September’s photo update around CityWalk Hollywood! This month, we take a look at progress on the multiple projects taking place throughout CityWalk as the theme park remains closed without any confirmed reopening date.
Let’s get started!
Park Update Index
» Howl at the Moon
» NBC Sports Grill & Brew
» Toothsome Chocolate Emporium
» CityFood
» Production Central & Universal Studio Store
» Reopenings
» A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That
Howl at the Moon
The former location of Howl at the Moon still remains vacant, with no sign of any future replacement for the time being.
NBC Sports Grill & Brew
Construction appears to have wrapped up on both the inside and outside of NBC Sports Grill & Brew. The front and side patios look mostly complete, as well as the interior of the restaurant itself. While the TV monitors are no longer playing loops of sports clips outside, the massive big screen on the front of the building in addition to all of the monitors inside continues to run as usual. The front patio area is currently being used as overflow seating for the ever-popular Antojitos just across the walkway while NBC Sports Grill & Brew awaits the announcement of its opening date.
Toothsome Chocolate Emporium
Work remains paused on the transformation of the Hard Rock Café into Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. No changes have occurred since our last update, with the exception of the addition of a few benches around the new planter just outside of the building.
CityFood
Construction continues on the transformation of Smashburger into The Habit Burger Grill on the upper level of CityWalk.
Though no official announcement has been made as of this update, according to the CityWalk directory, it appears that Firehouse Subs will be replacing Subway.
Since it has recently been updated to include Production Central, Firehouse Subs, The Habit Burger Grill, and more, we have included some additional photos of the CityWalk directory below.
Production Central & Universal Studio Store
A new Despicable Me unicorn mask has arrived at both Production Central and the Unversal Studio Store.
Since we did not notice many brand-new merchandise items during our last visit, we thought we would highlight some of the somewhat newer park-specific merchandise that has made its way to Production Central and the Universal Studio Store in CityWalk.
Reopenings
Many venues have reopened since our most recent update: Billabong, Havaianas, Sparky’s Mini Donuts and Chocolates, The Crêpe Café, Ben & Jerry’s, and Cinnabon are now open for regular operations.
A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That
LudoBird has permanently closed, particularly evident by the removal of all of the outdoor restaurant’s signage. As of this update, there has been no announcement of its future replacement.
Pressed penny machines printing designs from popular franchises featured in the theme park have made their way to CityWalk, scattered about the length of the premises.
The front entrance plaza to Universal Studios Hollywood was completely blocked off during our visit for a private event.
For any who may be curious about crowd levels at CityWalk, we have found that it is quietest at opening on weekdays, though is often extremely busy on Saturday afternoons and evenings in particular. Below are some photos of a mostly empty CityWalk during our most recent visit:
From all of us at Inside Universal, we hope you are doing well and staying safe. Thank you for following our continuing coverage of Universal Parks and Resorts.
