Ms DD Posted June 20, 2007 Hooters to open in Dubai Agencies Published: June 20, 2007, 13:22 Dubai: Hooters, a US restaurant chain famous for its scantily clad waitresses, may open this year in Dubai as it expands to the Arabic peninsula for the first time, the company's local partner said on Tuesday. "I am trying to secure a location to open one restaurant this year. A year from now I will have two to three potential locations," Jamal Al Shaheen, a Kuwaiti investor, who has the franchise rights for Hooters in Dubai, told Dow Jones Newswires. Waitresses at Hooters, which describes itself as a "beach-theme" restaurant, wear tight revealing tank tops and skimpy shorts. Al Shaheen said the original plan was to open a restaurant on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah. But delays on the gigantic construction site caused him to opt for a new location on the city's glitzy Jumeirah Beach Road. The new location for Dubai's first Hooters ought to be sealed by summer's end, Al Shaheen said, and the restaurant should open about six months later. Al-Shaheen, a partner in Kuwaiti firm Marketing Management Group, or MMG, doesn't expect any conservative backlash over Hooters' staff uniforms, saying the tight tops and shorts are no more revealing than normal outfits on the nearby Dubai beach. The franchise has more than 430 restaurants in the US and 23 other countries, including China. The Georgia-based Hooters, charges a franchise fee of US$75,000 per location and says initial investment in a restaurant ranges between $800,000 and $1.5 million. Mixed reaction over Hooters' entry By Scott Shuey, Chief Business Reporter Published: June 20, 2007, 14:11 Dubai: Good luck, you’ll need it. That, at best, was the reaction to the news that Hooters — the American restaurant chain known for dressing waitresses in skimpy, revealing clothes — was opening in Dubai. Some responses were less than friendly. “We think it is in very bad taste,” said Kate Bowery, director of MVM Events in Dubai. “It’s offensive to all cultures, but it’s especially offensive to Muslims and when you’re in a Muslim country.” Werner Gessner, general manager of Sonesta Beach Resort and Casino in Sharm Al Shaikh, Egypt, wondered whether the restaurant would be able to operate the way it does in the US. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I doubt very much that you can have the complete package,” he said, speculating that Hooters would have to modify its dress code. Despite the large expatriate community in Dubai, the restaurant would still have to accommodate Muslim family values, he said. Exactly what values the restaurant will have to adhere to will need to be discussed, said Ali Ebrahim, deputy director general for executive affairs at the Department of Economic Development (DED). He said the department welcomed all investors, but he said the restaurant would need to follow all rules and regulations, including those dealing with proper dress. But changing the dress code may take away the one thing that Hooters has going for it, according to Naseem Javed, president of ABC Namebank, who specialises in company brands. “In the US, when they first opened, they took the line that this was a [place to ogle women],” he said, but the time came when people realised that the restaurant just wasn’t that big a deal and the business started to suffer. “It was a fad,” he said. “It came up high and then softened up.” Javed acknowledges that Hooters could face difficulties, but he did say that Dubai is one of the few areas in the region where such a restaurant would have a chance of success, noting that clothing retailer FCUK had established itself at the Mall of Emirates. Whether Hooters can succeed at the same level remains to be seen, said Patrick Antaki, general manager of the Le Meridien Al Aqah. “The fact that it’s not just theme restaurants that are attracted to Dubai but theme restaurants of all kinds highlights the sheer magnetic pull of this city,” he said. “This is an interesting development and only time will tell how successful it is here in the region.” http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Society/10133712.html http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Hotel_and_Tourism/10133714.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allamagan Posted June 21, 2007 truly sad indeed! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roobleh Posted June 21, 2007 whats sad about it? In Dubai, there are thens of thousands of non-Muslims and they will appreciate if their favorite restaurant opens there. And those Muslims who used to frequent it while in the West will probably go there to eat. So keep your value on to yourselves people. Don't let yourself in between God and others. Anyway, I do not like to go to Hooters! I like the Shiisha. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blessed Posted June 21, 2007 There was a glorious time in recent human history when people read sensationalist pieces analytically. :rolleyes: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baluug Posted June 21, 2007 Originally posted by Ms Dhucdhuc & Dheylo: Werner Gessner, general manager of Sonesta Beach Resort and Casino in Sharm Al Shaikh, Egypt, wondered whether the restaurant would be able to operate the way it does in the US. “I doubt very much that you can have the complete package,” he said, speculating that Hooters would have to modify its dress code. Despite the large expatriate community in Dubai, the restaurant would still have to accommodate Muslim family values, he said. This is coming from a guy who runs a casino..... :rolleyes: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zafir Posted June 21, 2007 In that line of thinking, if one is committing adultery one should murder too?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khayr Posted June 21, 2007 Originally posted by Zafir: In that line of thinking, if one is committing adultery one should murder too?? Please explain your 'flawful' logical fallacy aka Red Herring How does a European Casino Manager make a statement about "Muslim Values" when his azz is managing a Casino in Muslim Land. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NGONGE Posted June 21, 2007 ^^ You don't know how Casinos in Eygpt work, do you? Edit: I might as well tell you. Egyptian citizens are not allowed to use these Casinos. Only foreigners and tourists are. So the man knew what he was talking about when he said that the restaurant would have to go through some modifications if it wanted to open in Dubai. Just like Casinos are not open for all in Egypt, he believes that Hooters will have to cover-up its waitresses a little. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FatB Posted June 22, 2007 cover up their waitresses... such blasphemy should not be Tolerated Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zafir Posted June 22, 2007 Originally posted by Khayr: quote:Originally posted by Zafir: In that line of thinking, if one is committing adultery one should murder too?? Please explain your 'flawful' logical fallacy aka Red Herring How does a European Casino Manager make a statement about "Muslim Values" when his azz is managing a Casino in Muslim Land. I despise when people ask the obvious, but I’ll give you a chance just this once kheyr. How can I put this is a simplistic form so I won’t have to do anymore explaining, hmm, I am thinking and thinking (can you smell the rubber ?) Yipi yayoyee, I got it! Let’s assume that you were an Arab working in Donald trump’s casino in Los Vegas and you had to introduce Arabian Hooters (wearing hijabs ande the whole nine) to their customs. News paper journalist asked you, what you have planed for this transition. What would you say? [Edit] I see Ngonge has already answer ya. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
