I'm not sure these guys have really thought through their business plan. The Atlantic reports that falling Hooters revenues are inspiring management to consider how to take advantage of the growing power of the female pocketbook. The theory is that even the male customers might enjoy an atmosphere a bit less like a stag party, and that their wives and dates would require a certain subtle alteration in the vibe just to set foot in the door. What could we do? I know! Add more salads to the menu. Another idea in the works (I'm not making this part up, either): add some premium sports channels to the TVs, because research shows that 42% of the NFL audience is women.
And pink napkins. Chicks dig pink. (OK, that part I did make up.)
H/t HotAir.
I've actually never been in a Hooters. Is the food any good? My first suspicion would be that they're getting out-competed by places like the Tilted Kilt, which have similar uniforms and better food and/or beer.
ReplyDeleteWell, the food could stand improvement. It's sound, and adequately prepared, but it lacks a certain...interest in the food itself.
ReplyDeleteI was in one on a business trip, once, and ordered their chicken wings in the version they intimated was their spiciest. Their view of spiciest was just to pour a bottle of Tabasco sauce onto the wings. Nothing about flavor, just heat for heat's sake.
Much of the clientele were into the macho of the heat, and not the quality of taste. And other sophomoric behaviors, vis-a-vis the waitresses.
YMMV from this sample size of one.
Eric Hines
Well, there's your problem, then. Looking at the menu online, it looks quite uninspired -- actually, the salads are the most inventive things they offer.
ReplyDeleteAmerican tastes have improved substantially over the last thirty years. Americans want better food. Hooters sounds like they're serving generic hot wings like always, but these days wings are very inventive. (My personal favorite is the Mango Habanero wings from Buffalo Wild Wings, but the Tilted Kilt's signature sauce is really good even though it isn't actually very hot. In both cases, you have a mixture of sweetness with the spice.)
I'd say that attracting more women customers means putting more thought, and more quality, into the menu. Women like good food. So do men, for that matter.
My sisters both like Hooters. They particularly mention getting good service. Guess when the Hooters girls don't have to worry about getting hit on by the patrons...
ReplyDeleteMy sister and her husband had their first date at the Hooters on Riverside here in Austin (so they could watch a baseball game, as I recall). So, they decided to have their rehearsal dinner there... :-P
I have been in a couple of times (mostly when the local sports radio talk show host did live broadcasts there). The food wasn't bad (if I want wings, I go to Wild Wings or Wing Stop), I liked the Hot Ham and Cheese. But the food was overpriced, and as a happily married man, I didn't think it worth the premium just to look at moderately attractive women. I haven't been in over a decade, so it could be completely different by now.
ReplyDeleteThose things 'for the ladies' are just an excuse for the guys to convince their other to go with them. It's just more smart marketing from Hooters, not to mention any publicity is good publicity, right?
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