Hooters is one of the busiest restaurants and bars in Nottingham, especially when it comes to match day. The restaurant screens a variety of different sports from NFL to Forest games while providing a fun atmosphere for fans to relax in.
The Nottingham branch is currently the only Hooters in the country, which makes it a popular destination for hen and stag nights alike. However, there have been talks about the franchise expanding into other cities such as Liverpool in the coming months.
"It takes away the novelty slightly that it won't be the only one but even if another opens, then you all fall under the same umbrella. We are all very connected so it's good to see it expanding as there is always room for a new restaurant with more people involved. It's exciting," said manager Olivia Wright.
Read more: Meet the drag queens resurrecting Nottingham's LGBT+ scene after lockdown
Olivia was drawn to working in the restaurant after a friend told her how fun it was to work there. She has been with the company for ten years after starting as a waitress and rising to be a manager.
"A friend was working here and said how much fun it was so I thought, why not? It's kind of my personality anyway as I'm very outgoing so I thought I would give it a go. It's clearly stuck as I've worked here a long time."
Abbey Goodacre is from Hucknall and is a waitress at Hooters. She has only been there a year but feels that there is a strong community between the women. She was drawn to working there after visiting the restaurant when she was younger.
She said; "When I was younger, I used to come here with my dad because Hooters has been here for a while. Then I started working here about a year ago. I started during the Euros so it was very busy."
The restaurant is of course famous for the women who work there, wearing the iconic Hooters uniform. The clientele is surprisingly mixed, despite the assumption that it is predominately men.
Olivia said: "Everyone is different and feels differently. I feel the uniform is amazing and body confident. It makes women feel amazing and empowered. I've never had anyone feel uncomfortable about wearing it and we wouldn't make anyone feel uncomfortable in that situation. It's iconic so you know what the uniform is going to be," Olivia explained.
She added: "People assume it's predominately men but it's definitely not the case as it's completely mixed. We have a lot of families coming in as we are a neighborhood-friendly restaurant and children eat free on a Sunday. We do get a lot of men but women love sports too so it's mixed. We get a lot of hen dos and I love when they come in as we get to make them feel like they are part of the Hooter's brand."
Olivia has had some amazing experiences with Hooters including being sent to Vegas to compete in Miss Hooters in 2017. She says there are not that many businesses that would do that for their staff.
"My favourite memory is the annual bikini competition we used to do. I won in 2017 and the company paid for me to go to Vegas for 10 nights to compete. The competition is huge and we currently have another one of our girls over in Lake Tahoe doing the same thing. There aren't many 23-year-olds who can say they have that experience."
Read more: BBC One Sherwood locations as Ashfield mentioned in show
Abby feels the best part of working in Hooters is the community that the girls build.
"The best part is making a lot of friends when you work here. There are a lot of girls here but everyone is so nice. We go out together for dinner and drinks. It's a little community."
Hooters was one of the busiest places during the recent Forest match at Wembley, as the Reds beat Huddersfield to secure promotion to the Premier League. Olivia said the atmosphere was amazing for both clientele and the staff, who are all Forest fans.
"The atmosphere was electric here. We get a lot of Forest fans through the door, myself included and the staff too. We really do support Forest here so it was incredible to see the team excel - it was an amazing feeling."
She said: "In terms of the Nottingham branch, we want to keep doing what we are doing as it's going really well and people love the brand. As they say, Hooters makes you happy."
- Read more: My Daddies author shares experiences of parenting as gay dad ahead of book being read on CBeebies
- Read more: Nottingham City Council statement as Old Market Square fountains turned off
- Read more: Train strike? Not at Nottingham Castle as drivers sought for attraction ahead of summer launch
- Read more: Nottingham street art festival set to return for 2022
