Marks and Spencer support new 'Hooters' in Bristol

[JessinAvalon]

Dear all
This is my first post on here so I hope I am doing this right!

I live in Bristol and, last week, 'Hooters' was granted a licence to open in the city centre. The site is virtually opposite 3 apartment blocks, the lower floors of which are social housing and children are living in them.

What's most disappointing is that Marks and Spencer are leasing the site to 'Hooters'. They have been e-mailed by many concerned people to ask if they will reconsider leasing the building but they have just replied saying it is a "commercial decision" (as if that makes it ok!). In Sheffield, a 'Hooters' didn't even make it to application stage because the developer (Ask Pizza) realised that it would be better not to be associated with a company like 'Hooters'.

Marks and Spencer don't seem that concerned, however. Although they have signed up to the "Let Girls Be Girls" Mumsnet campaign they are not concerned about a company which sells merchandise including babygros which say "Future Hooters Girl" and "Does my butt look big in this?"

I have written to Marks and Spencer telling them that I won't be shopping in their stores again. If you feel strongly about this, please e-mail:

[email protected].

'Hooters' tries to sell itself as a family friendly restaurant but it is anything but. The Hooters in Nottingham attracts mainly stag parties and football fans. Hooters Girls take part in bikini contests and iced wet t-shirt competitions (the t-shirts are put in the freezers before the girls wear them). 'Hooters' has links to Playboy magazine....I could go on.....

I think Marks and Spencer should be shamed for facilitating this company's expansion into Bristol. They are selling women and girls down the river by leasing to this company and all just to make a "quick buck".

Thanks everyone.

Thanks vbusymum. What's AIBU? I'm new to Mumsnet!

Thanks for posting about this. I'll email tonight.

My NCT group met a couple of years ago in one of the family's houses and the dad wore a Hooters T-shirt. Very tactful in a room of breastfeeding women.

Ah - Am I being unreasonable!

CommonsenseSuze - that's just horrible! I was walking down the street a couple of years ago and I saw a guy walking along with his young daughter, holding her hand. And he was wearing a 'Hooters' t-shirt. I didn't know much about the company then but I thought "yuck! How can you wear that in front of your young daughter?"

Another thing as well is that part of the Waterfront is quite family friendly - close to @Bristol, the Square with water fountains, a Costa cafe on the corner etc and its really nice on a warm summer evening if DS isn't tired, to walk around there without seeing stag parties and arse baring

However, that will all change when the lecherous masses descend on Hooters...and we know what kind of customer its going to attract don't we

The one in Nottingham sounds pretty horrendous. The police put in a very strong objection against the application and it's in a cumulative impact zone so it should have been turned down, but the 3 men (a coincidence?!) on the licensing committee that day decided that it would bring "something different" to Bristol. We all know what they're thinking about!

Even just a ten minute search on Google showed up some horrible stuff and the police will definitely have to spend their time keeping an eye on this place.

We have set up a blog here and there's a petition here if you want to sign it. The petition was presented to the Council last week but we are still hoping to get the police to appeal.

However, if Marks and Spencer weren't facilitating this in the first place, it wouldn't be happening in this site, at least. Another rumour I have heard, unsubstantiated by M&S, is that they have sweetened the deal by part financing the refit of the store. I'm not sure if that's the case but I asked M&S outright and they wouldn't answer - common in this kind of deal though.

I find it annoying that they think they can just ignore a few women and that it will all blow over. I've told them I've never shopping in their stores again anyway.

Just e-mailed. And will stop frequenting M+S. And when I say 'frequenting' I mean frequent ...

I am v v far away from Bristol, but the whole concept of 'Hooters' and everything the company stands for makes me come out in a rash .

And at 36 planned locations in the UK! Gah! Do we have to copy everything that goes wrong in the States??

MNHQ, if you are listening, I would be in favour of dropping M+S (or at least threatening to drop them) over this.

Good luck, OP, I hope you succeed.

Jess - have we got any Bristol MP's on board??

where are the 36 planned locations? Hope they're not putting one in York - it is hen night central but not so many stag nights as yet so hopefully not....

does Riven know about this? She's in Bristol isn't she (and not too keen on this kind of thing IIRC). Are you in touch with her Puss?

Yeah I am - will text her

I'm in Bristol though and not too keen on this kind of thing...mind you, I haven't had the PM at my house so...

Bloody disgusting, I live in Bristol and dont want a venue that promotes the objectivication of women :( Petition signed.

Riven was taking a MN break AFAIK - or is she back??

X-texted with Puss

I know Riven is away for the weekend.

Blimey, I wasn't that fast at texting

Was going to do it tmw as know she goes to bed early due to DD - but won't if you have already done it - thanks

Have put it on my Facebook page as well to try and get more signatures...told DH and he is not impressed as he likes taking DS to Pizza Express...wonder if anyone has contacted Pizza Express to say this would be oppsite their restaurant???

yes you would think that other businesses in the area would be cross! unless they liked stag nights too.

Hi all
Thanks for your support! Shame about the poster on AIBU who said "it's a bit of a laugh"! I don't see it that way at all.

My local MP, Steve Webb, is not impressed and has written to Bristol City Council about it. The leader of the Labour Councillors is not happy about it. There's a small contingent of Lib Dems who seem to want it and who don't seem to get the link between places like this and the problems that the objectification of women & girls causes.

It's in a very inappropriate location too - quiet and family friendly.

The planned locations are:

Aberdeen,
Basildon,
Birmingham,
Blackburn,
Bournemouth,
Bristol (licence granted last week),
Cambridge,
Cardiff (licence granted a few weeks ago),
Chelmsford,
Cheltenham,
Chester,
Colchester,
Coventry,
Crawley,
Croydon,
Derby,
Edinburgh,
Enfield,
Exeter,
Glasgow,
Gloucester,
Guildford,
Ipswich,
Kingston Upon Hull,
Kingston,
Leeds,
Leicester,
Lincoln, L
iverpool,
London (Central),
Luton,
Manchester,
Middlesborough,
Milton Keynes,
Newcastle Upon Tyne,
Northampton,
Norwich
Oxford
Peterborough,
Plymouth,
Portsmouth,
Preston
Reading,
Richmond upon Thames,
Romford
Sheffield (didn't happen when Ask Pizza pulled out of the lease negotiations),
Southampton,
Southend (licence granted but no 'Hooters' has appeared as yet),
Staines,
Stoke on Trent,
Sunderland,
Swansea,
Swindon
Watford

No York on the list!

Well there is a hotel on the corner but imho I am assuming they wouldn't mind in that may boost their room rate (stag parties staying over) but the gallery next to the restaurant probably wouldn't be that impressed...

What about @Bristol as well...mmm

This really winds me up....that there is business to be found in men being served food by big breasted women in tight tops...

To answer the question about Pizza Express, local residents have talked to the manager. I'm not sure if he or she minded (I would if I were them!). We did talk to the owner of the very classy bar next door (The Living Room - grand piano in the corner, bouncers to keep out undesirables, like me in my sports gear after I did the Rat Race in June!) and he didn't mind at all.

He said that he wouldn't want the customers from Hooters coming in to his bar but he thought it would encourage people over to the other side to the square so would help his business. He actually went for the job of manager of Hooters back in January so they were pretty confident that they were going to get a licence! And they were refitting the place weeks ago. All seems a bit dodgy to me!

Glad our town isn't on that list. We've only just got over a fight against a lap-dancing club.

Hi Puss
Did you know that the waterfront is going to made even more family friendly with a new chocolate museum?

So you can take your kids to the chocolate museum then take the whole family to 'Hooters' for some "wholesome" and "family friendly" food and entertainment!

You have to be out by 9pm though because it's over 18s only after that!

*These are words used by the lawyer to describe 'Hooters' at the licensing committee meeting 2 weeks ago!

Bloody hell Jess...seems like its going to go ahead really doesn't it?!

A chocolate museum - now that I wouldn't protest at - especially if they gave out samples

But a trip to Hooters - hell would freeze over first!