Why give a Hoot about this restaurant?

Coming to a table near you?

THE proposed opening of a new restaurant in Cardiff has an awful lot of people in a flap. The expansion of St David’s shopping centre has attracted a number of new and nearby eateries, so why all the fuss about just one more? Is the infrastructure struggling to cope with the increased demand? Will it threaten the livelihood of smaller independent restaurants? Has it been offered a 24-hour drinking licence which could lead to additional anti social behaviour?

The answer to these questions is “not necessarily”. What has been ruffling people’s feathers is the fact that it is American chain Hooters which wishes to set up camp here. For those of you who are not aware of the brand, Hooters is a series of all-American beach-themed bars which specialise in fried food, trays of chicken wings and sport on big screens. Oh yes, and all female front of house staff serving food and drinks wearing skimpy shorts and vest tops. And that is the problem.

The prospect has created a multi-opinionated debate dissecting the pros and cons of allowing an establishment which admits to being “delightfully tacky yet unrefined” to build its nest in an area where great efforts have recently been made to improve its image. It has been suggested that the restaurants’ opening would go against the attempts to bring some more class to the city, instead enticing drunken deviants to the vicinity and encouraging sexual harassment. It is an argument that seems to ignore fact of several existing and thriving lap dancing clubs in the city centre, not to mention a plethora of bars and clubs churning out intoxicated revelers into the early hours every weekend.

Some local groups have also expressed concerns that the uniform of the waitresses is nothing more than sexual exploitation and that the chain’s arrival would be a blow for equality in the city. The previously relatively unknown Cardiff Feminist Network started a campaign before the deadline of the planning application, and yesterday held protests near the John Lewis store with members of the Cardiff Socialist Party. Shoppers were handed leaflets which condemned Hooters’ methods of using female sex appeal as ‘outdated and offensive’ and said the location of the bar would be inappropriate.

Sally Hughes, organiser of Cardiff Feminist Network, recently stated: “Hooters is just about ladies dressed up in promiscuous clothing; it’s just another form of exploitation. The fact it’s right in the heart of the city is diabolical. This would be a step backwards for Cardiff and give the wrong image of the city. We believe that Hooters would objectify women and we’re concerned that a Hooters in this area of Cardiff will contribute to sexual harassment of women in the city.”

These sentiments have been echoed on the group’s blog, Facebook group page and other women’s websites throughout the country and beyond, despite the public defences of women who already happily work for Hooters and the fact that many women wear skimpy shorts and vests on a night out in the city.

But there has also been a great deal of support for the opening of the restaurant and the economic benefits that it could bring to the city – the creation of up to 90 much-needed new jobs in particular. Opposing Facebook groups have been created to campaign for Hooters to come to Cardiff (attracting a larger number of followers) and some local councillors and Assembly Members have been quick to defend the possibility of a franchise opening in the city. Cardiff Central AM Jenny Randerson has even raised the point that there are more important things on the agenda for female equal opportunities than women choosing to wear hotpants to work, arguing that “there are more pressing challenges facing feminism than a slightly seedy restaurant chain opening in Cardiff – such as unequal pay, domestic violence and human trafficking. I will however listen to the views of my constituents and others who use the city centre.”

There is surely a point here. One only needs to drive through certain parts of Cardiff after dark to see women who are being genuinely sexually exploited and forced to sell their bodies on the streets to fund a drug addiction. Yet there seem to be no obvious protests on their behalf. In stark contrast, there were no objections when American clothing brand Hollister opened a store in St David’s shopping centre earlier this year, using male models dressed only in board shorts and flip flops outside the shop to advertise their stock. Instead the shopping centre found its Facebook page inundated with frenzied speculation about the arrival of the company’s first store in Wales. On its opening day a queue of teenage girls waited outside for hours to gawp at the male flesh on display and have their photos taken with the models, yet none of the young men complained about being sexualised and harassed while doing their job. Was this because they were under no illusions and fully aware that the main reason that they had been recruited was for their looks and physique, rather than their customer service skills?

It seems likely that women applying for a role which involves displaying a bit of flesh would not willingly accept the job without fully considering what the resulting implications may be. Besides, the waitresses working for Hooters would actually get to keep their top on and avoid standing outside the restaurant greeting customers all weathers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much to generate unwanted attention and inappropriate behaviour from some people who just don’t seem to know any better. I’ve worked in a restaurant and a bar and found that there will always be customers that gawp, grab and make inappropriate comments, even if you are just wearing a jumper and jeans.

The proposed opening of Hooters is certainly causing a flutter throughout local community websites, the media and social media networks, with interest and support for the restaurant chain and Cardiff Feminist Network gathering by the day. Sally Hughes admits that her group has attracted over 40 new members since launching its campaign just under a week ago, while the online coverage for Hooters has probably generated enough advertising for the chain to survive without paying for it for the next six months. There is no doubt that the battle will continue until the outcome of the application is decided on September 3. But whatever happens, it looks likely that each of them will be victorious in the online war.

- A version of this article recently appeared on Warwick Emanuel PR’s blog