Business World |
November 2014
30
rience," Whittle says. "Remember, our mis-
sion in life is to make people happy. So we
try to not overcomplicate it. Life and liber-
ty? Those are a little beyond our reach. But
happy we can do. And it's pretty hard not
to be happy when enjoying fresh wings and
cold beer in the company of friends, family
and the one and only Hooters girls.”
INTROVERTS NEED
NOT APPLY
Whittle says Hooters is taking “a more pro-
active approach” when it comes to identify-
ing the right candidates, rather than simply
waiting for the right person/organization to
look them up.
“A perception grew over time that Hoot-
ers was not interested in introducing new
franchisees to the system,” he says. “That may
have been a reasonable assumption in the
past, but I can tell you that is certainly not
the case today. We are not sitting and waiting
for the phone to ring. We’re out there saying,
‘OK, there are multiple-unit restaurant op-
erators in this market, who are the best ones?
Let's go talk to them.’"
“One of the great things about selling this
concept is that you never have to overcome
a brand-awareness hurdle,” Whittle says.
“Whether here in the U.S. or abroad, every-
