There’s always a buzz when a new bar or venue is touted for Liverpool - the city’s nightlife is revered the world over and there’s a reason why so many people want to bring their stag and hen parties to the city.
However, when it comes to plans for a new Hooters bar in the city centre, that anticipation has been replaced by anger and apathy in some quarters.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s likely that even if you’ve not visited, you’ll have been aware of what Hooters provides.
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The US chain was established in 1983 in Florida and serves fast food, beer and on its own website brags of “beautiful Hooters girls”.
It now wants to add Liverpool as a location for the sports bar brand with a city council licensing committee due to hear an application on Tuesday.
Is a bar of this type what Liverpool wants, or in fact needs, in 2022?
Not according to City Centre Cllr Maria Toolan, who has launched a petition opposing the licence application after concerns were raised by residents in her Central ward.
She said: “We’re in the 21st century and it’s not something we think is appropriate and residents aren’t happy about this.
“My residents aren’t happy and I support them, it’s just not appropriate.
“I’ve had a lot of criticism for raising this and I support people’s freedom of choice but not when it impacts on others.”
Cllr Toolan’s opposition to the plans were strongly supported by Mayor Joanne Anderson and Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell who added their criticism of the brand.
The Labour councillor said “it wouldn’t have been right” for her to stand by and not act in the face of the bar’s application, claiming it did not match the values of her party either.
Alongside ward colleague, Cllr Nick Small, she had expressed concern about the impact Hooters could have on the area surrounding the proposed venue at New Zealand House, on the edge of Liverpool's business district.
She said: “Sadly we lost the World Heritage status and Water Street would have been a part of the site. If they were going to have this anywhere, and I’d rather they didn’t, at least not there.
“There’s a different demographic there and my concern is the influence it will have on other applications.
“I’m shocked at these venues still wanting to come to cities like Liverpool that are so open, but equally big on diversity.
“We’re ahead of lots of places in lots of areas and very proactive on issues like this.”
This isn’t the first time Hooters have looked at coming to Liverpool, rumours were abound that the chain had considered opening a venue back in 2015 after the website hootersliverpool came to life.
Currently, there is only one Hooters location active in the UK, in Nottingham, after sites in Cardiff and Bristol fell by the wayside.
Opened in 1998, the chain has managed to maintain a presence in the city ever since and in 2019, women working at the Trent branch said there was more to it than met the eye, claiming it was a “family restaurant”.
At the time, bar manager Mark James said the city’s acceptance of Hooters had been “key to its success.”
In 2022 however, that isn’t a view shared by Georgia Power, a Nottingham city councillor who lives above the bar.
She said: “There’s two different issues with this, whether it’s appropriate, probably not.
“It’s quite near our train station and football grounds and on match days there can be quite a few drunk people outside, which I don’t think they’ve managed to control very effectively.”
Discussing concerns raised by opponents in Liverpool, Cllr Power said she could recognise the potential issues raised.
She said: “With it being in the middle of the city, it’s not quiet anywhere but I don’t feel like the stag parties and match day crowds it attracts are handled well.
“Obviously the vast majority are often just there for a night out.
“As I live above it, I can only access my flat through the car park and walking through a large group of drunk men can be uncomfortable.”
The Labour councillor added her agreement to that of her Liverpool counterpart Cllr Toolan in questioning how it represented women in the 21st century.
She said: “The message it sends to women is unhelpful, it doesn’t seem particularly representative either.
“It doesn’t seem like it belongs in 2022 and I’m surprised they wanted to open more locations.”
Councillors will debate on Tuesday if a licence can be handed to Hooters to operate in what was previously the home of Newz Bar on Water Street.
Debate has raged online as to whether the US chain is welcome in Liverpool and that decision will ultimately lay with the committee that determines its future.
Either way, you can guarantee the buzz around a potential new bar isn’t going away any time soon.
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