Hooters misses the Cluetrain

Jun 30, 2003- Permalink

In the Cluetrain Manifesto, written by Doc Searls and friends, the authors state that “Markets are conversations” and those conversations are “getting smarter faster than most companies.”

Their belief is that fast communications and tools like email, newsgroups and the Web enable customers to spread the lowdown on companies faster than ever before. Companies have to learn to respond to this change and learn new ways to interact with, and provide support to, their customers. So it’s oddly refreshing in this day and age to see a company run over by the Cluetrain in a very clumsy, stupid and primitive manner.

Hooters Toronto Midtown is just around the corner from me. They’re located in an old diner space that’s seen several restaurants come and go.

Right now, they’re closed. Through the windows you can see all chairs resting on top of the tables. The plastic letter sign, which usually proclaims stuff like “Join us tonite for Game 7! Hot Girls, Cold Beer” instead informs us that they’re “Closed for rennovations [sic]” and will re-open July 4th. Other signs in the windows (on yellow bristol board) have handwritten messages like “Join us for our Hooterific re-opening.”

A letter in the window, on Hooters letterhead, informs their regulars that they’re closed from June 27th to July 4th to perform renovations on the roof and floors.

This restaurant has huge windows. Large enough that guys walking with their girlfriends will suddenly trail off their conversations and pretend that they’re not trying to catch a glimpse of the hot pants-clad waitresses. Windows big enough to see that absolutely no contractors appear to be working on the floors. So why else would they be closed from June 27th to July 4th? There’s a heat wave…good for beer sales…baseball on the big screen TVs…the July 1st Canada Day…4th of July for the visitors…

Do you think it could be the large yellow sign from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario? The one they’ve clumsily tried to distract you from with their yellow bristol board signs? The one that says that the premises have been shut down from June 27th to July 4th as punishment for buying alcohol off-license and allowing illegal alcohol on the premises?

Hooters: Catch the Cluetrain before it runs you over.