Much attention has been paid to the changes the Barclays Center has wrought on the surrounding brownstone neighborhoods: eminent domain evictions, property values both falling and rising, construction noise, a starchitect fight and a rat tsunami. Yet nothing could have prepared the borough of kings and kombucha for this: Hooters “desperately” wants to open an outlet near the new Nets arena.
In a story on Prospect Heights Patch the lede gets buried, as we like to say, when a new “family friendly restaurant” replacing a long-time neighborhood sporting goods takes billing over the fact that Hooters has looked at two properties near the Barclays Center, and it appears was turned down because of the company’s, uh, character.
According to Sharon Davidson, director of the North Flatbush BID, there was a bidding war and the top five bidders were all restaurants. She said one of them was Hooters, but Rosa confirmed that Hooters is not the buyer.
Hooters also approached the nearby Pintchik Paint and Hardware about selling, but the hardware store turned them down, Davidson said, adding, “I think they (Hooters) desperately want to open in the neighborhood, but I don’t think they’re going to on North Flatbush.”
We can hear the cries of “think of the children” already, but this may make some sense. Not only will the classy restaurant serve the needs of the arena, but the rather licentious Slopers, as well. So long as the wings are free-range and organic, everyone should be happy.
