|
HOOTERS,
the American restaurant made famous by its buxomy
beautiful babes, will be opening its first outlet in the
Philippines at The Fort entertainment strip in Taguig
City.
This was
confirmed by Kaz Endo, managing director and partner of
Paradise Wings Llp., a Guam-based company which owns the
Hooters franchise for Guam and Asia, including the
Philippines.
In an
e-mail to BusinessMirror, Endo said construction is
ongoing at the restaurant, which will open its doors to
the public by February 2008. “The Philippines, in
particular Metro Manila, is a multinational city.
Quality brands from around the world can be found here.
Hooters, an American casual-dining themed restaurant,
has many fans around the world, and with its expansion
around the globe [e.g. China, Japan, South Korea, Dubai,
Tel Aviv, etc.], it was only natural that this solid
brand of over 30 years eventually found its way into the
Philippines market.”
While he
didn’t say how much his group is investing in the first
outlet, Endo noted that the Atlanta-based parent firm
and franchisor, Hooters of America Inc., requires a
minimum of $1 million (roughly P43.7 million) of
available funding per store. “The first store opening
has taken about two years to plan and put together. We
took our time because we wanted to enter the market
correctly—not just bulldoze our way in. An aggressive
expansion will be determined greatly by the [positive]
response of the market. With this said, we intend on
opening at a minimum two to three restaurants in and
around select major city areas.”
Endo’s
other partners in Paradise Wings are Guam-based
businessmen Brian Y. Suhr and Michael S. Hahm,
president/chief executive officer, and executive vice
president, respectively of South Pacific Petroleum
Corp.; and a Los Angeles-based lawyer named Charles
Isgar. There is also a reported Asian partner, but for
the Philippines, Endo did not name the group’s local
partner.
The
restaurant at The Fort will approximately measure 400
square meters, with a 150-seating capacity. It will also
employ about 30 to 40 part-time and full-time staff.
“This number exponentially grows as we expand. So in
short, with the success of Hooters, so comes more job
opportunities for managers, cooks and of course
servers!” Endo said.
While
the restaurant is most famous for its Hooters Girls,
immortalized in a number of American films, TV shows,
magazines, and calendars, Endo said their group is not
hiring waitstaff based on looks alone. “No doubt, the
Hooters Girls are the restaurant’s ambassador of
goodwill and service. As pretty as they are, these are
hardworking waitresses who make sure that customers of
all gender and age are happy with our service. With an
average of 70 percent of all sales coming from food
sales—Hooters is still a restaurant, not a bar! We are
being very selective with choosing who gets to be a
Hooters Girl. They have to have a great personality,
smarts as well as beauty. . . . all within a
‘girl-next-door’ package.”
He said
Hooters at The Fort will look like any Hooters outlet in
the US and around the world, with the interiors dressed
in pinewood to give a log cabin feel. It will also have
on display products of American nostalgia and sports
gear, aside from the usual gigantic TV sets
strategically placed throughout the restaurant, “making
it a perfect place to watch live sports (soccer,
basketball, etc). It’s a casual dining atmosphere, so
basically it’s a no-nonsense place where everyone is
welcome.”
It will
also carry the same menu as the US and international
including the restaurant’s famous chicken wings. “But
for those looking for lighter fare, Hooters offers great
appetizers, salads, soups and sandwiches. For something
more hearty, [guests can] try our great burgers, chili
or pasta dishes. Of course [we also have] Alaskan King
crabs, grouper fish sandwich, and fresh oysters which
are always great alternatives during the Lenten season
or when you crave seafood,” Endo added.
While no
particular market is being targeted by his group, Endo
said Hooters normally attracts a young crowd, both male
and female, followed by families and older adults.
“Statistically, men tend to make up 55 percent of our
customer base, followed by 35-percent female, and
10-percent family. An average [meal tab] will be
approximately P500. A, B and upper C markets can afford
our menu, and in particular those who like American
concepts, we hope will give us a try.”
According to Endo, Paradise Wings will be opening the
other Hooters restaurants itself instead of franchising
these out to other interested parties. But the company
will probably seek “investment partnerships” when
aggressive demand for the restaurants picks up.
“Hooters, as simple as the concept appears, is a very
controlled environment; therefore, any operator/partner
will have to go through extensive service-quality
training and will be carefully selected,” he explained.
The
company is also considering other locations in Asia such
as Thailand, Bali and Vietnam.
The
first Hooters opened on October 4, 1983 in Clearwater,
Florida. According to its web site, the privately held
Hooters of America Inc. operates and is franchisor of
435 Hooters restaurants in 44 states and 23
international locations such as Argentina, Aruba,
Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa
Rica, England, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru,
Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Venezuela.
Requirements for a Hooters franchisee include the
ability to develop three to five restaurants within
one’s territory, a restaurant location with at least
100,000-150,000 people within a five mile radius, $2
million in liquid assets, at least five years as a
multiunit restaurant owner/operator.
A
franchisee has to pay a franchise fee of $75,000 per
location and an “option fee” of $15,000 for each
additional restaurant option within a territory. Initial
investment is between $800,000 and $1.5 million for each
restaurant. |
