Hooters sold
March 4, 2008 | 12:09
pm
Hooters is being bought by Hedwigs Las Vegas Top Tier, a Santa Monica company, for $225 million. Back in 2006, Hooters casino opened in time for Super Bowl weekend after a couple of years and a lot of money spent redesigning the San Remo casino. But since opening as Hooters, the property has proved unable to find a niche with Vegas tourists.
I think that the suggestive naughtiness Hooters offers as a restaurant brand around the country is redundant and quaint compared to the overtly sexual advertising that blankets Vegas. According to the Review-Journal, from the perspective of the money people the Hooters name clearly was not working as a hotel casino: "Bond analysts during the past few months have questioned the feasibility of the deal if the property kept its Hooters brand."
The new owners are joining the bandwagon, planning to redesign the casino yet again -- this time as a luxury boutique hotel. Everything small these days is a luxury boutique hotel. And the next generation of mega-resorts, like the upcoming Echelon (where the Stardust was located), is being built with luxury boutique hotels inside.
The redesign of Hooters could begin later this year; and, according to the Review-Journal, still unclear are both the name of the new project and if Hooters will remain open during the period of the renovations.
(Photo by Sarah Gerke)
