The Rise and Fall of the Hooters Restaurant [link to video]

youtube ^ | 10-09-22 | Weird History Food

[FLNittany]

From the 13 minute video:

"Weird History is going to get some wings at the Hooters restaurant. While many people may be turned off by the idea of a restaurant called Hooters, the history of Hooters is actually full of weird facts that may make even those most resistant willing to give it a chance.

Founded on April Fool’s Day in 1983, the original “restaurant” has expanded into several different business ventures: the brand sells merchandise and a yearly calendar, boasts a Las Vegas casino hotel, and hosts a yearly swimsuit pageant."

[moovova]

Sales are sagging?

[Scarlett156]

I was for a while hanging around with some guys who were in their early 20s. Most of them were drug addicts and louts - my main interest in them was that they could always find drugs. (Sorry to be so honest. I was having a rough time then. It was right after my band broke up in 2002.) Some of these guys had lots of money to burn.

They LOVED going to H00ters but I doubt if H00ters loved them. They were such bad customers I would never go in anywhere with them, but wait in the car if possible.

One of the kids had borrowed his rich dad’s expensive car one night - I think it was a Mercedes. (I was not with them when this happened.) They went and stayed for several hours at H00ters, getting hella drunk one night. Drunk as lords, they piled into the Mercedes to start taking everybody home.

This H00ters was on Denver’s east side and they had to drive through ritzy neighborhood “Cherry Creek.” There’s a big shopping complex in Cherry Creek with a several-tier parking lot. It has a large ramp coming up off Cherry Creek Drive that looks like a highway on-ramp - I actually have driven up this thing a couple of times and was surprised to find myself in a parking lot instead of merging onto the highway.

Anyway, they’re blasting through this nice neighborhood late at night and kid driving the car sees this on-ramp-looking thingy and thinks he’ll hit the highway and make better time.

So he went flying up the ramp and smashed into several parked cars in the Safeway parking lot. No one was hurt, strangely enough, but the car was destroyed and so were several shoppers’ cars.

These guys ran the three or so miles back to H00ters, got a table, and started ordering drinks and snacks. (I’m sure the waitresses were thrilled to see them!)

So midnight rolls around and they’re like “Let’s go home” and they went out in the parking lot and then all dashed back into the restaurant (oh boy! here they are again!) saying their car had been stolen.

No, again - I was not there. I learned early on not to go anywhere with these guys. I just got to enjoy the story.

These guys - if they are still alive, of which I’m doubtful - are in their 40s now. That’s kinda funny to think about. I’m sure none of them is cute anymore if they’re still among the living.

Whenever someone mentions H00ters, this is what I always think about. And I feel kinda sorry for the gals who work there, although I’m sure they don’t really deserve or need my pity.

[Sequoyah101]

Rush was too correct. The womens movement is designed to give ugly women access to the mainstream of society.

[Ferndina]

Real question. I love good chicken wings and used to enjoy Hooters occasionally but the last 5 to 10 years I’ve noticed a change in the wings or breading or maybe the sauce. Its just not as good. Has anyone else noticed that?

[rbg81]

It seemed like the mid-90s was the hey-dey of Hooters. I don’t think I visited one after 1996.

[chaosagent]

Back in the early 2000's my wife and I used to go to our local Hooters all the time, and others around the country when we were traveling, including the two-story one right across the street from Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

However, we switched over to Twin Peaks about 10 years ago due to falling quality at Hooters. The wings got smaller and smaller, almost pigeon-size, and the service really slipped.

We go to our local TW about twice a month. I'm lucky that my wife loves the food, as do I. Plus I also get the 'Scenic Views'.

For example, this is Sylvia, our favorite server.



She's a real sweety and remembers exactly what we order every time. One thing funny is that the other servers think we're her grandparents since my wife and I are both in our 70's, and we have her cell # so we can text her when we're coming in, to be sure she's working that day. If she's not working, we don't go that day.

Many of these girls are college students. When we used to go to our local Hooters, one young lady was finishing up her MBA and another was getting ready to take her CPA exam.

My wife and I have always had a "You can look, but you can't touch" rule that worked for 55 years (we got married in our teens). She's been known to point out girls in skimpy bikinis and I've been known to point out guys in tight bike shorts to her.

And you can certainly see more skin any weekend at the beach. So far it's worked for us.

[Brasky]

Oof. You win the thread.
“At Cooters there’s a chance”

[EQAndyBuzz]

I don’t go to hooters anymore. Wings are no longer edible.

[laplata]

Lol! You win.

[peggybac]

OMG I forgot about this photo! That poor girl holding the sign only wishes....

[peggybac]

Hahahahahahahaha!

[EEGator]

She looks as well kept as General Petraeus’ wife...

[EEGator]

Hot chicks wear thong bikinis in Hawaii.

[Blue Highway]

That photo fully captures the liberal mental illness to a “T”. Somew ugly ass lesbian looking “thing” is trying to dictate what these hot Hooter’s girls should be wearing. LOL

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Too many Hooters available to watch online.

[Blue Highway]

How did the totaled Mercedes and several Safeway customer’s cars story end up? Did the guys wind up going to jail for hit and run? Did they have to pay for the customer’s destroyed cars? What kind of band was it you were in?

[FLNittany]

Was just browsing around the interwebs - seems that Hooters has signed John Daly Jr. (aka Little John) to an NIL deal. His Dad is what he is - and people like him, flaws and all. He's been a good brand ambassador for Hooters over the years.

It will be interesting to see if the future of professional golf has a place for a Charlie Woods/Little John rivalry.

[circlecity]

“ I don’t go to hooters anymore. Wings are no longer edible.”

THat’s a shame. I used to go to Hooters in their early years to watch NFL football. While I certainly like pretty waitresses, I think chicken wings are the ultimate football food and I liked their wings. Watched a lot of MNF games there. Then BW3 came along and I switched to them because you could get your wings in multiple flavors and they had a lot of screens showing the games. Haven’t been to Hooters in over 10 years. Sad to hear their wings got lousy.

[leaning conservative]

🤣

[EEGator]

Everybody enjoys a throwback reference...
:)