It’s either I am getting so old my memory is failing (certainly a possibilty) or I am having a classic Mandela moment. But I seem to recall an eatery in the Seacasus mall area called Bazooka’s. Very much like Hooters (which I will get to in a moment and which is what this blog is mostly about) this was a wings/pizza place where sports would play on TVs littered around the restaurant and busty waitresses (or at least young ladies in clothes that pushed them up and out) served patrons.
I heard about this spot, never having been (if you believe this, I have that old swamp land ready for your deposit). I was reminded of Bazooka’s when I read today that Hooters is planning on bankruptcy.
Sorry to see it go, not that I have been in a Hooters in years, for no reason really. I think the last one I stepped into was when a buddy and I checked out the Hooters-themed casino in Las Vegas when I was last there, pretty much on a walk-thru, to see what it was all about, then walking out.
I get the attraction of the place, of course. Hooters like Bazooka’s offers food that is, to me, OK at best; it’s the young women in the revealing T’s and tight shorts that brings in the customers. No surprise there. Surely one could argue tour hat culture may have evolved to the point where places like Hooters are not really keeping with the #MeToo times…a debate I shan’t get into here (it should be clear where I come down on that kind of a consideration). But the chain finds itself in financial trouble like so many other eateries (Denny’s is in trouble too) post the Covid shutdown, hence the bankruptcy plans.
But despite me not being so surprised, I do feel it is an end of eras with this news. Then again, it has felt like the end of lots of eras to me in the past few years (if that’s really the proper way to term this). Again, it is a symptom of my creeping old age, I know. Lots of stuff is passing me by or simply dying off from my way-back-when. But the death of Hooters, if it is truly dying, makes me wax nostalgic yet again.
Cleavage will do that to you.
I liked knowing Hooters was out there, even if I never really frequented them that often. I’d rather Denny’s stick around as well. In fact, give me back all those Drive-In movies of old. I know some still exist and I have been to one even recently, but I liked when they littered the landscape. Yes, there is a resurgence of interest in vinyl records, but give me a time when this was the only way (ok maybe add in 8-tracks too) to listen to music…let’s face, streaming has led more to the ruination of popular music than even MTV (another debate I shan’t get into here, but take it from your old uncle Ralphie, I know of what I speak). Dude, give me the red M&M’s and smoking on TV shows without any ‘trigger’ warnings.
In fact, give me the days of no trigger warnings.
Yes, I could go on and on…
Goodbye Hooters, I will miss you, but I already miss so much more.
