Restaurants & Bars Hooters Prepares For 40th Anniversary Party, Concert In Clearwater Events include a party at the Original Clearwater Hooters and a benefit concert by the rock band Chicago. Reply
Hooters was conceived and incorporated on April Fool’s Day in 1983 by six businessmen: L.D. Stewart, Gil DiGiannantonio, “Uncle Billy” Ranieri, Ed Droste, Dennis Johnson and Ken Wimmer. On Oct. 7, the doors to the first Hooters restaurant opened. (HMC Hospitality Group) The original Clearwater Hooters was torn down to make room for a more modern version of the laid-back beach-style restaurant. (HMC Hospitality Group) The original Clearwater Hooters was torn down to make room for a more modern version of the laid-back beach-style restaurant. (HMC Hospitality Group)
CLEARWATER, FL —From its humble beginnings as a standalone restaurant in Clearwater known for its spicy Buffalo wings and buxom waitresses, Hooters has become a global phenomenon. And now the restaurant will celebrate 40 years in business with not-to-miss events at the Original Clearwater Hooters and at The Sound at Coachman Park in Clearwater Oct. 4 to 7.
Events will include a party at The Original Clearwater Hooters, the launch of the 2024 Hooters Girls calendar and autograph signings with the models, and a Breast Cancer Research Benefit Concert with the legendary Grammy award-winning rock band Chicago. Hooters, in conjunction with the city of Clearwater, is holding the benefit concert for Breast Cancer Research at The Sound at Coachman Park on Saturday, Oct. 7. The 1970s and ’80s rock band Chicago is known for hits including “Saturday in the Park,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “If You Leave Me Now,” “Colour My World,” “You’re The Inspiration,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” and “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day.”
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Chicago will perform Oct. 7 at The Sound at Coachman Park in Clearwater. Proceeds from the Breast Cancer Research benefit concert will be donated to Moffitt Cancer Center and Morton Plant Mease Hospital. Both organizations will be presented with a donation on stage as part of the festivities. The evening will also feature an opening act by Moffitt’s house band The ReMissions, a band founded by Moffitt CEO and keyboardist Dr. Patrick Hwu. Moffitt’s house band is made up entirely of Moffitt team members, including Dr. Dana Ataya, vocals (breast radiologist), Jeff Leighton, bass (registered nurse in the intensive care unit), Dr. James Mulé, guitar (researcher), Ron Zalva, drums (security), Mike Tworoger, guitar (research administration), Shelley Tworoger, vocalist (researcher), Mark Robertson-Tessi, mandolin (mathematician) and Samson Liu, PhD, violin (University of South Florida student).
The ReMissions will perform at 7 p.m. followed by Chicago at 8 p.m. Click here for tickets. Related:
The laid-back beach-themed restaurant was one of the first to introduce Buffalo-style chicken wings nationwide and, with the help of the Hooters Girls, to countries around the world. Since then, Hooters has become a cultural icon with frequent references in film and on television. There are references to the wing restaurant in films like Adam Sandler’s “Big Daddy” where one character works at Hooters; in the movie, “Blended,” in which the characters played by Sandler and Drew Barrymore have their first date at Hooters; in “Shrek the Third” and Paul Walker’s 2003 film, “2 Fast 2 Furious;” and in the TV show, “The Office,” when actor Steve Carrell and his team stop by Hooters for wings and beer during Season 2. Although franchises around the world, the six original Hooters restaurants have been retained by the restaurant’s founders as part of the HMC Hospitality Group, which owns and operates 22 Hooters restaurants in Tampa Bay and Chicago. “We are proud to give back to the wonderful communities that have welcomed us for decades,” HMC Hospitality Group CEO Neil Kiefer said. “With the help of our great customers and hundreds of thousands of Hooters Girls, we have raised and donated millions, starting from our first week in business.”
HMC Hospitality Group
2023 Hooters calendar girl Marissa Wick displays this year’s calendar, The mission to raise funds to find a cure for breast cancer is in honor of former Hooters Girl and Palm Harbor resident Kelly Dowd, who served as a surrogate sister and mother to the hundreds of Hooters Girls that she worked alongside during her more than 10 years as a Hooters employee. Dowd was the 1995 Hooters Calendar Cover Girl and went on to become the general manager of the Palm Harbor Hooters until she lost her battle with breast cancer in 2007 at age 42. As part of the anniversary celebration and as a tribute to Dowd, Hooters has continued to raise funds for breast cancer research throughout the year, culminating with the Oct. 7 benefit concert. Anniversary schedule of events: Wednesday, Oct. 4: Hooters 40th Anniversary Party and 2024 Hooters Calendar Launch and Signings at the Original Clearwater Hooters, 2800 Gulf-To-Bay Boulevard, Clearwater, at 5:30 p.m.