Chinese Life: September 2007 Archives

I remember, a few years ago, when the first Hooters outlet opened in China, in Shanghai's Hongqiao area. I was new in China at the time, and when a friend and I visited Shanghai on a road trip we figured we'd better check it out. Truth be told, as a Canadian and frequent visitor to the United States, I had never been to a Hooters restaurant before (honest!). So the Hongqiao branch was the first time I went.

Sure enough, it was kinda what I expected. Although the women weren't... erm... as "well-endowed" as I imagined (possibly as a result of the water in China... no?). When I moved to Shanghai a few years later, visiting Hooters become part of the tourist trip: first to the Bund, then the Pearl Tower, then the French Concession, then Xintiandi, then Hooters. For whatever reason, the Chinese seemed more enamored about Hooters than my foreign visitors did.

And now, Beijingers have no more need to head to Shanghai (or Hangzhou) to visit America's infamous restaurant chain. I think other North Americans can vouch that Hooters isn't exactly highly regarded in America... in fact, the only outlet in Vancouver went out of business. So I can't quite understand why a restaurant associated with low-end American culture seems so eagerly anticipated in China.

I had a talk with my girlfriend the other day about this very topic. She comes from a government family, and is fond of Mao, to say the least. She visited Hooters in Shanghai when I lived there, but was sorely disappointed that it had invaded the heart of China's capital, and her hometown. In fact, she swears she'll write an article on the editorial page of her newspaper denouncing Hooters' presence in Beijing, a la Rui Chenggang's campaign against Starbucks in the Forbidden City. (I'll let you know if she ever gets around to it.)

I live a few minutes walk from the Hooters in Beijing, which is on the northeast side of Worker's Stadium. It's a prime location, and I'm surprised that the government allowed Hooters to erect such large signage and lights around the restaurant -- believe me, you can't miss it. This, for a low-rent kind of chain.

It reminded me of local campaigns (both in my hometown of Sidney, and in parts of Vancouver) to ensure that Wal-Mart didn't set up shop and pollute those communities. Or of other areas in Canada, that fight to keep corporations and chains out of the area. It's clear that China is still having a love affair with foreign brands... but something also tells me that if the authorities fully understood how Hooters is regarded, perhaps they would've toned down the signage a bit - or asked Hooters to move to another location.

Personally speaking, I don't really have a problem with the place. It serves a certain clientèle and makes money, at least in China. Although on the night I was there, we saw an older fellow, with greasy hair flowing out from under his baseball cap, grab the rear-end of one of the waitresses. She giggled and continued talking with the two men at the table, but I couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted about what I had witnessed. My girlfriend was nearly in tears (it wasn't my idea to hit up the restaurant, by the way).

When the girls started dancing and singing songs, my girlfriend mentioned that they have probably been completely brainwashed by the company. She also said that if she ever tried to work at a place like this, her parents would give her all the money she needed just to stay home. She said she couldn't bare this kind of job, and would never be able to tell her family if she worked there.

To be fair, western girls could say this about other western girls working at Hooters. Again, I'm a practical kind of guy, and if there is a willing worker and a willing employer, and everything is above-board and consensual, then I don't see a problem. But yet, something about this rubs me the wrong way.

First, I have visited the Hongqiao Hooters twice, the Pudong Hooters twice, and now the one in Beijing. I have yet to meet a girl in any of the locations who are from Beijing or Shanghai. They are all -- 100% according to my unscientific poll -- from the countryside. Apparently Hooters pays fairly well, so the restaurant becomes a bit of a magnet for girls that need the money.

Second, I can only imagine what Mao would think (if we really care -- and most times I don't). Depending on the perspective, and if I was to spin this in a PR fashion, one could argue that China is selling out its girls from the countryside for the amusement of foreigners. (And yes, I know this has been happening for centuries -- but this situation just seems a little more overt, and with the government's obvious blessing). The fact this is occurring several blocks from China's Forbidden City leaves one with an odd feeling.

I'm not about to get too sentimental about this, because I happen to like the buffalo chicken wings at Hooters and they are now only a 5 minute walk away. One can argue whether Hooters should be here in the first place, and one can argue whether it should be promoted with giant signs and glittery lights next to a stadium honoring China's proletariat. Regardless, I can understand how my girlfriend feels.

I guess next time, I'll go with my buddies.