BREAKING NEWS: Hooters Israel!

November 28, 2007 - 5:27 PM by

Hello, readers: seems that it’s been a while since my last posting. But here’s a story I can’t ignore, especially since I can’t miss being what seems to be the first to press with this groundbreaking story, and because I had an exclusive invite to yesterday’s private opening night party…without further ado…HOOTERS ISRAEL!!!

And just like that, orange takes on a new meaning in Israel. The logo as seen on the sign is the traditional one; no Hebrew translation. The restaurant is located down the street from Ikea, near Netanya. The biggest question everyone seems to have is “why not Tel Aviv?”
Not sure. I forgot to ask.
Sparklers kick off the event. “Ehhh…Dudu! The TV! Mah zeh NASCAR???” The place was packed. I was able to easily identify the Americans, as there were several there from the US Embassy and armed forces.
Not bad! But where’s the blue cheese dressing? All the food and drinks were free. Wings, onion rings, calamari, and even a sighting of mozzarella sticks. Definitely unlike any other meal I’ve eaten in Israel. And the answer is no, there was no chumus.
Yes, she’s Israeli.
At least half the staff, including the waitresses and cooks, were flown in from America for a couple of weeks, creating some surreal interactions. Watching “Osnat” and “Bethany” do the verbal tango over who was going to carry the wings tray was high comedy. Can you play “find the American” in this picture?
If I’m not mistaken, they’re doing the mayim step. About this time, roughly 483 male patrons congregated to take pictures. (Ok, I guess I was one of them. Hey, I’m a media member.) I saw someone carrying a microphone from Walla! along with many other cameramen. I was a little surprised that the peace talks were scheduled for the same day but it’s the busy season, I guess.
Much, much more to report, coming soon.

On that note, look what I just dug out of the archives from Halloween 1999: an unidentified Hooters waitress with Run DMC. I think I got hit on by a cop that night. How many readers did I just lose?
For more good old-fashioned controversy, check out What War Zone??? 

Tags: • Category: General 

Comments

21 Comments on BREAKING NEWS: Hooters Israel!

  1. Dawid on Wed, Nov 28th 2007 8:01 PM

    2. This is what we waited for 2000 years for? To be like everyone else? To bring HOOTERS and culture such as that into this beautifal land?

    What is the reason for living and building ISRAEL if not for beautifying it, making it special

    TO BE A LIGHT ONTO THE NATIONS

    Not, to be LIKE or WORSE than the Nations.

    You post this “post” like its something to high-five about, this is a shameful event, and the high-fives will only come when the place will be burnt to the ground.

    Why is Hooters BREAKING NEWS and not the constant barrage of missles on Sderot and the Negev? You find HOOTERS more important than Jewish lives? You find HOOTERS more important than giving up Jerusalem, our capital, our home, our beacon of all Judaism?!??!?!?

    LOOK INTO THE MIRROR, YOU HAVE GONE TO FAR.

  2. Benji on Wed, Nov 28th 2007 9:39 PM

    3. Actually, I only waited 6 months since the big announcement was made. And WHOOOOO-WEEEEE was it fun!!!

    Ok ok, I’ll try to be serious (not easy). David, everything happening in the news, including Sderot, is of extreme importance, both to me and as a general statement. Personally? I’m not the one to write about it. Israelity and the Jewish blogosphere have a plethora of great political commentators who are talking about this stuff on a daily basis. I have nothing valuable to say about Sderot that others aren’t saying more eloquently, and THEY *ARE* SAYING IT.

    I’m proud of what Israel has done as a capitalist country: the start-ups, the scientific breakthroughs, even that McDonalds can make it here with an Israeli twist. Do I think Hooters is going to make it here? I have my doubts. But I applaud people in this country for their risk-taking values.

    I think we are a light unto other nations by not targeting civilians in war like our enemies do. We are a light by helping people during the tsunami. If G-d gave man free will, then this country must also have free will, and not everything it does will be universally popular. If Israel is going to be a capitalist country, places like this will open and the consumers will decide if it’s to succeed or not.

    As for my high-fiving tone…there’s enough cynicism in this country as it is. If I can bring some laughs to this place, I’ll have made it a better place. The “Breaking News” title is in fun. I invite you to come to one of my stand-up shows and I’m betting you leave having laughed and enjoyed yourself. If not, first drink is on me. Head over to http://www.whatwarzone.com and email me if you’re interested in continuing this conversation.

  3. Stephanie on Wed, Nov 28th 2007 9:47 PM

    4. Benji, that was downright eloquent. I’m quite impressed. Goodonya, mate. You’re good people.

  4. Avi on Wed, Nov 28th 2007 10:22 PM

    5. What? Not in Jerusalem? The one time I was in Hooters was … well, interesting.

    On the other hand, I would prefer Ruby Tuesdays or TGI Fridays than this sexist place. Actually, I’m really craving some Mexican…. but maybe I’ll just have to get to Netanya for some … er…. hooters – er, I mean, mozerella sticks. yeah, that’s it. Though if they have American beer, I’m over in an instant (eh… can we say … Goldstar?)

  5. David-Joe on Thu, Nov 29th 2007 6:20 AM

    6. I have one word: gross.

    I am pleased that Tel Aviv has not been blighted by an utterly unhealthy and moronic entity such as “Hooters”.

    In the US, Hooters has a definite demographic – I am not sure Israel will reproduce that, especially in a place such as Netanya – thank god!

  6. Liza on Thu, Nov 29th 2007 10:35 AM

    7. Avi,

    Actually, we do have a restaurant like TGI Friday’s. It’s called Columbus, and it’s located in the Herzliya Pituach Industrial Zone. The look, style and attitude are exactly the same (albeit with an Israeli touch), the waitstaff just as quirky and fun, and I believe the food is too. Aside from the name, there’s no difference. I’ve been there a few times, and it’s great fun! Check it out!

    Benji,

    I second your comment (or maybe third it, since Stephanie also chimed in). You forgot to mention that Israel is also a democratic country, and these are things that can happen in a democracy. I think that many people forget that while Israel is indeed the “Holy Land”, it’s also an actual, functioning country, with actual citizens. It’s the diversity of available activities that makes Israel the “beautiful” country it is today.

    When it comes to beautifying this country, I’m far more concerned by the habitual lack of respect for the environment and the garbage strewn about all over the place than I am about Hooters.

  7. sori on Tue, Dec 4th 2007 11:11 PM

    8. I am glad that I didn’t make aliyah.

    This makes me want to abandon Judiasm altogether.

  8. PECKERS on Tue, Dec 4th 2007 11:14 PM

    9. Objectification of women or should I say girls continues.

    There is no stopping of the many ways to keep females
    unclothed.

  9. sori on Tue, Dec 4th 2007 11:16 PM

    10. I am glad that I didn’t make aliyah.

    Perhaps I will abandon Judaism altogether.

  10. desensitize on Tue, Dec 4th 2007 11:26 PM

    11. One on every corner—keep women undressed and stupid.

  11. Hooters World Domination on Wed, Dec 5th 2007 12:51 AM

    12. The world doesn’t know what to do with females.

  12. KEEP GIRLS NAKED AND STUPID on Wed, Dec 5th 2007 1:08 AM

    13. Hooters and strip clubs everywhere!

  13. Israelity » BREAKING NEWS: Two Jewish states!!! on Thu, Dec 6th 2007 9:16 PM

    14. [...] David, the offended commenter, this “breaking news” reference is for you! [...]

  14. Eli on Sun, Dec 9th 2007 3:09 PM

    15. Disgusting place for disgusting people.

    This is what we made of the “jewish” state, pfff.

    We really deserve all the punishment we will receive from YHWH.

    Especially people who participate in the desecration of this Holy Land.

    Better fix your ways before it’ll be too late.

    Eli

  15. Sara Boykan on Thu, Dec 13th 2007 1:56 PM

    16. As the first official Hooters trainer of Israel, I would like to shed some light on this subject in the form of answers to your questions:
    1. Hooters has opened in this location initially because the success of this product needed to be insured. In other international countries, there has been few past failures, and to open a restaurant in Tel Aviv where there is already so much culinary competition would have set the establishment up for failure. Think when Starbucks came to Israel. Thusfar, the restaurant has been well-received. People are coming from all parts of the Jewish state to dine here and catch the spectacle. The owner aims to open 5 if all succeeds.
    2. Blue cheese dressing is here! It arrived with us last week. Shifts beginning next Saturday will now be lunch as well as dinner, so that consumers may enjoy beer and wings at more broad hours of the day.
    I hope to see many new faces in the weeks and months to come. I am here volunteering on a MASA program, but being that I was a Hooters Girl throughout college, I am pleased to bestow my knowledge of orange and lycra on a country in which I find myself home.

  16. Brad L on Sat, Dec 15th 2007 12:48 AM

    17. Sara: Thanks for the update. I spend a lot of time in Israel and I am very happy that Hooters is now in Israel. I wish I would have grabbed that franchise. I will visit there early this next year and I can only hope the food is “American Hooter’s food” and not “Israeli Hooter’s food”. There is nothing worse than wanting a bit of America while in Israel and getting some poor immitation.

  17. Chris Gonzalez on Tue, Dec 25th 2007 5:23 AM

    18. Hi,

    I am a big fan of Hooters all over the world. In fact I happen to own http://www.hootersisrael.com, it is a great investment opportunity and I am currently willing to sell it. View the website and email me with any offers you may have. As Hooters continues to grow in Israel this website will become all the more important!

    Hooters Rocks!
    Chris

  18. Rani on Fri, Mar 7th 2008 12:49 AM

    19. Please, don’t make it kosher.
    Don’t waste kosher food.

  19. lou on Tue, Mar 25th 2008 12:39 AM

    20. I will surely visit..maybe only to LOOK..at the menu..and drink a tea.

    And all those bad drivers who honk their hooters instead of using their brakes, should also visit and spend time so there will be less bad drivers on the roads.

    And to invite so many bad drivers who honk their hooters to spend time..there should be many such places opened all around Israel.

    Good luck.

    lou.

  20. moshe rabeynu on Thu, Feb 12th 2009 5:51 AM

    21. I was glad to see that the ownership of hooters flew in waitresses and cooks from the u.s. I was relieved that they didn’t kidnap any poor Eastern European women or bring in contract hooter labor from some poor third world country. The American help will soon get fed up with the cheap Israeli clientele and promptly “lech habaita”. Why would an American or a European tourist spend a lot of money to travel to Israel to see goyisha tsitskas? There are plenty where they came from. It doesn’t add up. Observant Christians make up a large segment of the tourist population. Religious Christians do not go to the Holy Land to see titties. They go to see where Jesus lived and died and to be spiritually.uplifted. Could this be a money laundering scheme? One has to wonder how many under the table payoffs have been made to despicable government ministers and operatives.

  21. BREAKING NEWS: Two Jewish States! | Benji Lovitt on Sat, Mar 5th 2011 4:59 PM

    22. [...] According to this story in Ynet, the religious organization SOS Israel is planning to set up a new state in the West Bank should the Israeli government decide to withdraw in a peace agreement. This, from Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo: “First of all we must understand that ‘it will come to pass,’ in other words- to internalize the lessons of the cruel expulsion from Gush Katif and to cease living in illusions. It is upon us to choose if we want to be brought to the slaughter, God forbid, or to stand up for our lives against the government’s intentions. There is no doubt then that the only solution is to immediately declare the establishment of an autonomous Jewish state in Judea and Samaria. The time has come to seriously consider erecting a legal body that will unite the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria as a state-to-be,” Rabbi Wolpe wrote. This is amazing, my loyal readers! Just over 100 years ago, Theodore Herzl dreamed of a Jewish state. Did anyone ever dream in this lifetime that we would see a second??? Just imagine… Twice the pushing! Twice the bureaucracy! TWICE THE HOOTERS!!!! [...]

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