Hooters is fighting for the sanctity of its “intellectual property rights,” according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Since opening its first sports bar in Clearwater in 1983, Hooters now earns more than $750 million a year from nearly 400 restaurants encircling the world. And a host of copycats followed, according to a deposition by Hooters’ Senior Vice President Michael McNeil, who cited competition from such sports bars as Melons, Show-Me’s, Bazookas and Mugs ‘n Jugs.
The new contender is Crawford Ker, a former NFL lineman. Ker opened his first breastaurant, WingHouse, in 1994 and now runs 15 restaurants, including five in greater Orlando, according to testimony. In 2003, the chain pulled in annual revenue of $26 million — money Hooters claims came from unfair competition.
Ker disagrees. “Hooters wants to use the court system to accomplish what it can’t do in the marketplace. It’s going to ask you to create a monopoly,” Ker’s lead lawyer Don Conwell said in opening comments. “They’re a 25-year-old chain. There’s new blood coming into town and they’re not up to the competition.”
