Hooters CEO Says Good Leadership is a Lot Like a Bag of Golf Clubs

Quality leadership is like a bag of golf clubs, says Hooters of America CEO Sal Melilli. Just like a golfer needs many clubs to have a successful round, a leader also has lots of tools at their disposal. Sal is leading the Hooters brand in new directions while focusing on what makes it special.

Watch to learn about moving from sink to C-suite, diversifying income streams, and celebrating the iconic Hooters Girls.

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Chapters:

[02:06] - The Hooters Story
[03:58] - From Dishwasher to CEO
[07:50] - Hooters Girls Are Iconic
[18:44] - Diversifying Income Streams
[32:34] - Hooters at Grocery Stores

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Hooters was founded in 1983 on April 1 — ”April Fool’s Day”. But it’s no joke.

As legend goes, the brand was born in Florida when “six businessmen with no restaurant experience whatsoever got together to open a place they couldn’t get kicked out of.”

They call it the happiest accident in restaurant history.

Humble origins led to monumental growth. Four decades have passed, but the mentality remains the same as it was in the 80s.

The Hooters brand was created from day 1 to be about fun — to “rescue people from the ordinary.”

Eventually Hooters with its comfort food and comfortable surroundings — and the fashionable and cheery Hooters Girls — became cultural icons. The brand continues to grow in new ways, including globally.

These days, Hooters franchises and operates more than “420 restaurants” in almost every state in the US, and 29 countries.

Hooters grossed $860 million in 2022, according to Technomic's Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report published by Restaurant Business Online.

Hooters of America (HOA) Brands also operates hoots wings, an emerging QSR franchise with lots of different styles to offer chicken wing fans.

Sal Melillis said Hooters has learned to diversify within its strengths. The International Miss Hooters Pageant was a big success for the brand and has even inspired similar live events at a local franchise level.

You’ll also be able to buy Hooters products in the grocery store.

“We're on the cusp of some pretty exciting opportunities that we're building in the licensing part around this brand,” explains Sal Melilli to Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media (https://calibbq.media).

Episode Links:
Hooters Website: https://www.hooters.com/
Miss Hooters Pageant: https://www.hooters.com/hooters-girls/pageant/
Hooters I AM Initiative Article: https://www.nrn.com/workforce/how-hooters-celebrating-its-women-it-marks-40-years

ABOUT SAL MELILLI —

Sal Melilli is the CEO and President of HOA Brands, the franchisor and operator of more than 400 Hooters restaurants. Leveraging his expertise in brand management, franchising relations and extensive general management, he oversees the nearly billion-dollar brand and manages close to 400 units worldwide. Starting his career with the brand more than 25 years ago, Melilli began his work at Hooters in the “Heart of House” as a dishwasher and intern before climbing the ranks and mastering various skills, including construction, site selection, franchising, budgeting, store operations and marketing. Since joining HOA Brands, Melilli has developed and led the most successful territories within the Hooters system to date and was instrumental in creating hoots wings by Hooters, one of the newest brand extensions.

Sal Melilli LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sal-melilli-b412b81/

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Rob Dyrdek, Elizabeth Chambers, Stratis Morfogen, Chris Comparato, Meredith Sandland, Jon Taffer, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media - https://entreprenuer.com
Produced by Cali BBQ Media - https://content.calibbq.media

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