Do Families Give a Hoot About Hooters?

The restaurant chain  is now at the center of a legal matter.

The California chapter of the National Organization for Women said it is filing complaints against local Hooters establishments for "violations of state and local laws covering sexual entertainment and minor children."

Hooters restaurants are located throughout California, including Dublin.

NOW's complaint charges that Hooters advertises its business as a family restaurant and fails to comply with regulations for providers of sexual entertainment. 

"Every local county or city with a Hooters should consider a ban on marketing sexual entertainment to minors and require that sexual entertainment businesses check IDs at the door," said Patty Bellasalma, president of the California chapter of NOW.

The Hooters location in Dublin does serve children and even sells small t-shirts that read, "Hooters Girl in the Making." But many customers didn't seem to agree with the legal fight.

"If you don't want to bring your kids here, then don't. It's as simple as that, it's your choice," said Lisa Donaldsen, a mother of two.

Another customer, Mike Taylor, agreed that NOW is not correct in their view point. "I don't have kids, but I don't think they'd see anything here they don't on TV anyway."

"In today's standards, I consider Hooter's tame. And I like their wings," added one customer who did not want to provide a name.

On Friday, Hooters provided Dublin Patch with the following statement via email:

Hooters of America, Inc. today announced that it has not been contacted by any authorities in connection with NOW's complaint filing in California, which attempts to paint Hooters as being in violation of the "Adult Entertainment" codes of Orange County and the State of California.  The company believes the charges are ridiculous and that the popular restaurant chain, which currently has 24 locations in California, is not even close to violating these codes.

"Hooters Girls are sexy and vivacious.  The element of sex appeal is certainly prevalent in our restaurants, and is the essence of the Hooters experience, but the Hooters brand of sex appeal is wholesome and that of the All-American cheerleader, not a seedy strip club." said Mike McNeil the VP of Marketing for Hooters of America. "These complaints are merely last gasp efforts by an organization that lost this battle decades ago. It is time for NOW to accept the fact that the public likes Hooters and there is really nothing they can do about it. Hooters is no more in violation of California's adult entertainment codes than the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition is. However guys can't do that job either," concluded McNeil.

The company is concerned that the efforts of NOW are wasting taxpayer dollars and distracting law enforcement authorities from pursuing real crime. The company also reports that the publicity generated by NOW's efforts have actually helped sales in the past 24 hours.

Dublin Patch will continue to follow this issue.