Hooters comes to downtown Grand Cayman

Hooters set their sights on Cayman
Published on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 in Cayman Net News
Hooters logo Another household brand name in the United States is shortly to be added to the list of attractions in Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. Hooters, a restaurant chain which began life as a single outlet in Clearwater, Florida nearly 24 years, is bringing their combination of good and attractive, female servers to George Town. Although email enquiries to Hooters in the USA have failed to elicit confirmation of the opening plans, local sources said that a location on Fort Street has already been chosen and plans are well advanced. Hooters, Grand Cayman, will join over 435 outlets located in the USA and more than 20 other countries worldwide. The chain also owns a hotel casino in Las Vegas. Although the chain does employ male staff, part of its reputation is based on a decision to employ only female servers. The waitresses, known as Hooters Girls, wear a uniform comprising a tight white spandex shirt with the Hooters owl logo, the legendary orange runner’s shorts, glossy ultra sheer suntan tights, white socks, and white trainers. Located just across the road from the Royal Watler Terminal, with a typical menu including hamburgers, sandwiches, steak, seafood, chicken and Buffalo wings, plus a full bar service, Hooters could be seen as operating in direct competition to established outlets such as Senor Frog’s and Margaritaville. However, according to the company website, they target a slightly different clientele. Describing themselves as, “Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined,” Hooters characterises itself as a neighbourhood place, not a family restaurant. About 70 percent of their customers are male, most between the ages of 25-54. Although Hooters does not market itself to families they do offer a kids menu. Most locations also feature a range of widescreen TVs providing sports or music to entertain customers. As examples of the worldwide attraction of Hooters, the latest two restaurants are being opened in Israel and Dubai. Extensive merchandising, including an annual swimsuit calendar, backs up the food and drink side of the business. Hooters is also heavily involved in sports sponsorship. Quite how existing businesses will view the new venture is unclear. Two recent investigations by Cayman Net News suggested that the restaurant, bar and fast food market on the island is already saturated. In January, burger giant McDonald’s showed interest in opening a local branch but other, similar outlets cast doubt on the viability of yet another fast food establishment on the island. In June, an in-depth look at the restaurant business revealed a shrinking market experiencing intense competition amongst existing businesses. But Margaritaville Manager Arthur Screaton said he did not see it as direct competition. “In this business you need to concentrate on what is going on inside your own door not worry about what other people may, or may not be doing, outside,” he observed adding that this was the way Margaritaville ensured they continued to provide a top quality service to their customers.