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Hooters, simply the breast

By Susan Thurston, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, April 25, 2008

Lindsey Paul, right, a three-year veteran of the Brandon Hooters, trains Courtney Ausley during her third day on the job.
	[Luis Santana/tbt*]

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Today, like every day, thousands of men — and far fewer women — will make their way to a Hooters.

They'll order baskets of chicken wings and pitchers of beer from a pretty waitress with a pretty name like Ashley or Tiffany. Many will slurp oysters and tear open packets of wet wipes. The particularly observant will snicker at the sign near the bathrooms hailing John J. Crappers and wonder who in the world chose knotty pine for the decor. On the way out, they'll tell themselves, "I come here for the food. I really do.''

Today, in particular, customers will do all that, plus take a chance at winning $25,000.

It's part of Hooters' 25th anniversary promotions going on all year. Look for birthday bashes at every restaurant on the 25th of each month, cash giveaways and a contest for the top Hooters girls.

The concept dates back 25 years, when a group of Clearwater businessmen thought up the idea over a game of Parcheesi. Since then, little about the experience has changed. Guys still flock for the wings, and the girls still have a thing for owls.

Today, Hooters has more than 440 locations in 42 states and 24 countries and did more than $1 billion in sales in 2007. Hooters has a calendar, magazine and a Las Vegas hotel.

But it wasn't an instant success. Lynne Austin, the first Hooters Girl hired at the first Hooters in Clearwater, remembers working double shifts, barely making ends meet. The owners would tip the servers $20 just to make sure they didn't quit.

"If they hadn't fed us, we'd have starved,'' she said.

Over time, business picked up, largely through word of mouth. Ed Droste, one of the founders, used to stand along Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard dressed as a chicken to attract customers. Hooters Girls hit the beach. Eventually, people had to wait up to four hours for a table. (The place was a lot smaller back then.)

On one particularly busy day, Pink Floyd drove up in a limousine and asked for a table, Austin said. Too bad, said one of the owners. They'd have to wait like everybody else.

The band left with barely a notice. Plenty of people were lined up outside the door.