29th SEPTEMBER 2008 - OPENING OF HOOTERS SOUTHEND LOOKING INCREASINGLY UNLIKELY. Following the granting of a licence to Hooters in mid-April there has been no further progress with the launch of the restaurant, despite the fact that Summer 2008 was the planned opening date. The local paper reported that there had been 'a hitch' with the arrangement of the lease (http://www.echo-news.co.uk/search/display.var.2291357.0.0.php). The premises in question have recently been occupied by a Christmas/ homeware shop and thus it looks increasingly unlikely that Hooters will be coming to Southend. Updates will follow when more information is known. PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS ISSUE NATIONALLY AND CONTACT [email protected] IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ON STOPPING HOOTERS COMING TO YOUR TOWN. ALSO SEE THE 'NO TO HOOTERS IN THE UK' FACEBOOK PAGE http://www.facebook.com/group.phpgid=30472516392 Hooters have applied for a licence to open a restaurant at the former site of the MVC music store, 42-44 London Road, Southend. Hooters of America Inc. offer an explicitly sexualised form of entertainment, the presence of an all-female waiting staff wearing 'The Hooters Girl uniform... of orange shorts and a white tank top' being the principal selling-point of the franchise. The brand uses images of women that verge on the pornographic in their promotional material (see: http://www.hootersmagazine.com ) and has a long-standing association with the Playboy corporation. The February 2008 issue of Playboy Magazine featured Hooters waitresses in a fully-nude pornographic photo feature - Hooters 'restaurants' are adult entertainment venues masquerading as themed diners. The only other branch in the country, in Nottingham, hosts bikini competitons as well as other events which make it little different from a strip club (see http://www.hooters-uk.com/gallery2/main.phpg2_itemId=29 ). This is utterly unsuitable in an area directly adjacent to the South East Essex College buildings, near several large restaurants and the Odeon cinema, all frequented by children, young people and families. The site is near to both the taxi rank and bus station, and this raises issues of personal safety for women in Southend, the link between a rise in sexual violence against women and the presence of adult entertainment venues nearby having been suggested by a number of recent studies. Sixty-eight percent of Hooters' customers are male, aged between 25-54 - these are not family restaurants. The establishment will bring stag parties and other large groups of young men into the area with the intention of consuming large quantities of alcohol and this has obvious implications for crime and disorder and the causing of public nuisance. 40 branches of Hooters are planned across the country over the next 4 years. Don't let Southend be used as a guinea pig for the larger roll out. Sign the petition and say 'No!' to Hooters in Southend! PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME AND THE ROAD YOU LIVE IN IF AT ALL POSSIBLE - ALL SIGNATURES ARE VERY WELCOME, BUT THOSE OF SOUTHEND RESIDENTS WILL CARRY THE MOST WEIGHT. See the web resources to the right below for further information on the mounting campaign against Hooters in the UK.