Lost amid all the wrangling over basketball-related income and so-called “system issues” in the NBA lockout negotiations has been one vital, unasked question — until now:
What will happen to Hooters?
The new 7,300-square-foot restaurant, which opened in July, is losing about 30 percent of its nightly revenue for each NBA game that is canceled, general manager Laura Acton estimated in a Los Angeles Times story. The location features 43 high-definition TVs — including three 200-inch HD screens — and sits less than 500 feet from Staples Center, where the Lakers and Clippers play 82 scheduled regular-season games per season.
But with NBA arenas across North America shuttered, Hooters is worried about generating business.
“It has definitly impacted us,” Acton is quoted as saying.
Hooters is not the only business that faces a loss of revenue. Taxi drivers, shop owners and other restaurant owners could lose out on about $3 million for every canceled game, the Times reports.
Many of those are long-existing business, though, that are entrenched in the Staples Center area. They’re pretty much at the whim of the NBA owners and players.
The new Hooters, by contrast, opened July 11. Considering the 2010-11 season ended in June and that news about a possible lockout in 2011-12 had been building for two years, wouldn’t it have been wise for HOA Restaurant Group LLC (the Atlanta-based operator and franchiser of more than 455 Hooters locations, according to its website) to have held off on opening the new spot for another year, at least?
Then again, you can’t expect too much from a company that considers hot pants a crucial part of its business model.
Photo of the day
Who knew Hooters girls were such big NBA fans?
Photo via Flickr/chollsjr
Quote of the day
“For me to say it wasn’t a strange day would be kind of leading everybody astray. It was a surreal day.”
— Oklahoma State football head coach Mike Gundy on Friday, which began with the news that women’s basketball coaches Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna had died in a plane crash and ended with the undefeated Cowboys losing a 37-31 double-overtime stunner to Iowa State
Tweet of the day
A whole season without words like “decertification”? Almost forgot what that was like.
Video of the day
The only thing this ode to mustaches is missing is a mention of Tim Thomas. That’s more than a small omission.
