Hooters on the Rocks

ATLANTA -

- South Africa’s first Hooters to Open in Umhlanga in December

Since Hooters opened the first restaurant 26 years ago in Clearwater, Florida the concept has experienced unbridled success and has expanded to over 450 locations internationally. Hooters is now bringing the beach themed concept to the shores of South Africa with the opening of the first location in Umhlanga this December; three of which will open in time for the 2010 World Cup. This is the first of ten Hooters locations slated to open in South Africa over the next 3 years.

(Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091007/CL89216 )

The already well established Cottonfields pub in Umhlanga Rocks and its well respected restaurateur owners Gordie Jestin and Jono Shepherd, have partnered with Spencer Shaw from SG Shaw Foods, to open “Hooters on the Rocks.”

Jestin, Shepherd and Shaw have been partners in several successful restaurants in the Durban, namely The Fish Franchise, Luigi’s, Myra’s and The George and Tapas’. “We are confident that this new venture will prove very successful and will bring an element of delightfully tacky, yet unrefined taste to Umhlanga Rocks,” says Spencer Shaw, CEO, SG Shaw Foods.

The four cornerstones of the Hooters concept are cold beer, good food, served in a fun and relax environment by vivacious, fun-loving Hooters Girls. Hooters Girls don the well known athletic uniform of a white tank and orange shorts and serve up a variety of delicious menu items including burgers, wings, seafood and salads. The chain hires both males and females to work in management and host, staff, service the bar and various kitchen positions, however the Hooters Girls are a very important cornerstone of the Hooters concept and an element of femininity is prevalent in the restaurants.

“We hire vivacious, fun loving ladies who best represent the image of a Hooters Girl to work in this capacity and believe they are as socially acceptable as a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, or our very own Sharks Girls,” stated Shaw.

The Hooters of Umhlanga will feature seating to accommodate 180 guests, over 23 TVs, an indoor and outdoor full liquor bar and will employ about 100 South African residents. The neighbourhood restaurant, suitable for family dining offers a children’s menu and a special lunchtime offer on Sundays to children under the age of 12 to eat for FREE.

Hooters of America, Inc. is the franchisor and operator of over 450 Hooters restaurants in 27 foreign countries. The first Hooters opened in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida. Hooters is well-known for its brand of food and fun, featuring a casual beach-theme atmosphere, a menu that features seafood, sandwiches and Hooters nearly world famous chicken wings, and service provided by the All-American cheerleaders, the Hooters Girls. For more information about Hooters visit www.hooters.com.

Source: Hooters of America, Inc.

Angeline Abawat, Marketing Director , Hooters of South Africa , Subsidiary of SG Shaw Foods, +27827183583, or Alexis Aleshire, Public Relation Manager, Hooters of America, Inc., +1-770-799-2256, Aaleshire at hooters.com