The American Dream: A Hooters Franchise
Ownership of a franchise could be seen as a symbol of living the American dream. What could also be considered an American dream is actually being a franchise owner of a Hooters store. This could be an interesting prospect to say the least. Interestingly, the word Franchise comes from Old French and means privilege or freedom, and Hooters seems to refine this meaning with the development of its interesting business plan.
Hooters is a private company, a hospitality business, originating in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida, whose motto could be “Food and Fun”. Hooters restaurants serve food and alcohol, characterize themselves as neighborhood restaurants, and pride themselves on customer service. They are not advertised as a family restaurant, however ten percent of the parties served have children, so there is a children’s menu.
Hooters is best known for Hooters Girl (there have been 250,000 employees since 1983) whose uniform consists of orange shorts, a white tank top, or a short-sleeved or long-sleeved T-shirt. Pantyhose and bras are also a uniform requirement. The Hooters Girl concept exudes sex appeal, and sixty-eight percent of the clientele tends to be male. It has been speculated that “Hooters” is a slang term for a part of the female anatomy. Hooters features an owl in its logo, and the chain reaps the profits from the speculation. Finding success in America’s small cities and major metropolitan areas in 42 states, Hooters has expanded internationally to include 24 countries, and sales numbers are growing.
It’s easy to acquire information about potential Hooters franchises: simply use the Google search engine for information on “Hooters Franchises” or visit the official Hooters website, click on the “Company” link and go to the “Franchise” section for information. The Hooters website provides brief criteria to qualify you as a potential Hooters franchise investor:
o Territory – Location must be approved and 3-5 restaurants must open within its territory
o Regional Population: There is a minimum requirement of 100,000 people within a five mile radius of the restaurant
o Monetary investment: there is a requirement of $2 million in liquid assets per restaurant
o Experience: At least five years of experience operating or owning multiple restaurants is required
If criteria are met, it is suggested that a written proposal be submitted to Hooters of America, Inc. (email and mailing address also available on website). Make sure your proposal is written and submitted to meet the qualifying criteria.
Research is paramount to investing in a business, so also visit multiple restaurants and talk to managers about each establishment, interview other restaurant employees, and talk to the corporate franchise department. After extensive research and consideration, a Hooters franchise may or may not fulfill your American dream.