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Hooters got less than a stellar review in this mornings edition of AM Costa Rica. I was thinking of stopping by but this review gives me some doubts about trying it.
They don't come here for the wings and the burgers
By Jesse Froehling
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The first problem with the new Hooters restaurant in Escazú arises when it's time to explain the pun to Ticos. The word means owls right? Actually, the word hoot comes from houten or huten which both meant to call out, at one point. Maybe a man's reaction as he walked by a particularly busty woman one day caused the world to adopt its current slang form in English.
Either way, it's still not apparent yet whether native Spanish speakers understand the other meaning, even after a reporter made two visits to the new restaurant. Many of the male patrons Wednesday night had their girlfriends in tow which tends to defeat the purpose of going there in the first place. Because, let's face it, the restaurant didn't become an international chain and form its own airline because the food or service is good.
The franchise in Plaza Itzkazú follows the formula established by its counterparts in the United States. Television sets blare the latest sporting events — although in Costa Rica, “sports,†only means “soccer.†Scantily clad waitresses in orange Daisy Duke shorts and hooterrific tank tops flirt openly, although Angie, the waitress the first night, claimed it wasn't in the job description to do so. However, Hula Hooping is, and several of the popular 50s toys hang just by the entrance for that purpose. So when it's slow, waitresses Hula Hoop, and the male patrons forget about soccer.
"We're just supposed to be really nice,†Angie said. The interior is decorated with what appears to be wood paneling, Christmas lights and road signs that read “Caution, Blondes Thinking,†and “Bumps,†under a pair of what could be speed bumps but more closely resemble the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.
It would seem that the priorities for such an establishment would be threefold: keep the waitresses smiling, the sports on the television and the beer glasses full. Being in Hooters merits a tall pitcher, and although Angie got that order right, Jackie, the waitress for the second visit, brought a couple of smaller mugs by mistake. In both instances, service took awhile.
After a couple of glasses, it's time to eat. The menu is a bit perplexing. It's entirely in Spanish except for the headings for the different items and two notes from management. One reads: “Dear Guests: Our girls are not waitresses, they are local celebrities. Help us keep their lifestyle. We encourage you to tip accordingly. Thank you.†The other reads simply:
A.M. Costa Rica photo
'Local celebrities' in traditional uniforms
“We love it when you tip. Tip a lot.†There is no
mention of the impuestos servicios that is included in the bill.
For the most part, prices are comparable to those in the United States. A plate of wings smothered in Hooter's sauce goes for 3,550 colons, about $7. Luckily, there are paper towel dispensers on every table to deal with clean-up. A Philly cheese steak
sandwich costs 3,739 colons and a grilled chicken sandwich costs 2,682. The menu says that the chicken sandwiches are marinated in teriyaki sauce, but that fact is not substantiated by the taste buds. One other cultural difference is that sandwiches in the United States – at least in sports bars – come with french fries. In Costa Rica, the side dish is beans. They don't quite cut it.
However, most patrons – at least in the United States – don't go to Hooters for the food. They go because the waitresses have to talk to them. And for the most part, the girls in Escazú were good at that. Angie was very friendly. She was working at Hooters because the tips were good, and, yes, Gringos generally tipped the most.
Contrary to what one would infer, the owner of that particular establishment is from Guatemala where a franchise already existed. Angie liked her job, she said. Jackie, on the follow-up trip, tried gamely to be friendly but my associate got a bit grumpy when she forgot to bring fries and the beer glasses got empty. By the end of the night, she appeared to be scared of him.
At the end of two trips to Hooters, two things were certain: That I wasn't going back without lots of peer pressure and more alcohol, and that some things simply shouldn't have left the United States. Hooters is one of them.
_________________  Pura Vida Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. Alex Levine 
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