Update October 2019:
Hooters Kemang has closed down. According to the Hooters girls I know, they are currently preparing to open again in Bali and in Pantai Indah Kapuk in 2020.
When I first heard that Hooters was coming to Jakarta, my first thought was that it would make a perfect target for the FPI or any other religious groups. I was skeptical that it would actually open, and if it did, I remember saying to friends that I would not feel safe visiting it.
Hooters Kemang has closed down. According to the Hooters girls I know, they are currently preparing to open again in Bali and in Pantai Indah Kapuk in 2020.
When I first heard that Hooters was coming to Jakarta, my first thought was that it would make a perfect target for the FPI or any other religious groups. I was skeptical that it would actually open, and if it did, I remember saying to friends that I would not feel safe visiting it.
It turns out I was wrong. The first Hooters in Indonesia official opened in Jakarta last Friday (March 24th), and I went there yesterday (March 28th).
For those who don't know, Hooters is a cultural icon in America. It is a chain of sports' bars/restaurants where all the waitresses are pretty girls in sexy outfits. They tend to flirt a bit with customers as a way to encourage repeat visits.
The exact location is in Kemang, just in front of Eastern Promise. The entrance is rather discreet, especially with the Hooters sign being plugged off at the moment (is it on purpose?).
Design and Atmosphere
It must be the tiniest Hooters branch I've ever visited. It is a 30-meter-long, L-shaped room with around 100 seats, including 5-6 dining booths on the side. It looks clean and bright like typical fast food restaurants are. Anything inside - the girls, the furniture, the signs, the posters - is either orange or white. Finally, a huge screen on a wall and plenty of flat-screen TVs are here to remind you that Hooters is also for watching sports.
Food and Drinks
I came to Hooters after dinner so I only had a few Bintangs. At almost IDR90,000 net for the cheapest beer bottle and over IDR160,000 for a cocktail, the prices are pretty steep and fall in the "tourist trap" category. Even a rooftop like Skye is cheaper.
The food consists mostly of popular American food: Burgers, steaks, sandwiches, sliders, wings, nachos, fish & chips, etc. Expect to pay at least IDR100,000 for appetizers and IDR200,000 for a main course.
Indonesian Hooters Girls
Ok now for the best part, the Hooters Girls. They are of course the main attraction here and the only reason guys will accept paying such high prices for junk food.
In a Hooters in the US, the waitresses generally have generous breasts and their uniform will reveal as much cleavage as possible. Nothing like that in Indonesia.
First, it seems the managers in Indonesia have chosen to select only "petite" girls who are rather short and slim.
Second, the Indonesian girls wear a high neck T-shirt instead of a low-cut one, meaning there isn't much skin to see in that area. It's just a few centimeters of fabric and yet it makes a big difference as you can see below:
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| Hooters Girl in the US |
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| Hooters Girl in Indonesia |
On the positive side, the short pants are exactly the same in Indonesia as in any other Hooters branches worldwide.
I don't know what it says about me, but I knew two of the waitresses in Hooters on that night. Both are students in their early 20s with outgoing personalities. Having dated several expats, they can speak great English and they are fun to talk to. They are the kind of girls you would meet in X2, Dragonfly or Immigrant on a Saturday night.
My guess is that all the other girls have a similar profile. There were also two Filipinas working there.
Crowd and Atmosphere
The music in Hooters is quite loud, and especially late in the evening. It is more like a club than a restaurant. The songs are all commercial party hits, nothing original.
Every 15 minutes, the girls will perform a staff dance like in this video:
The girls in Hooters move much better than in the strip clubs from North Jakarta and I imagine they are actually enjoying their work. Is it worth paying almost IDR100,000 for a Bintang? I'll let you the judge of that.
What surprised me is that there were almost no foreigners in Hooters. Most guests were Indonesians, including at least 25% of women (a few of them were even wearing a hijab).
Overall
I think Hooters is mostly overrated. It is interesting to visit if you've never been to one before, but don't expect too much out of it. Basically, it is an expensive sports' bar with cute girls who try to make you spend more money than you should. The guys who fall for that are the same guys who waste money on karaoke girls.
Even though it is far from being evil, I also believe there is a strong chance that it will be closed down in the near future by religious fanatics (or just locals trying to extort money).
Hooters Restaurant and Sports Bar (Jakarta)
Jalan Kemang Raya No.5
Jakarta, Indonesia
Website: Hooters Indonesia
A Hooters should also open in Bali in October/November this year. I find it interesting that the management chose to penetrate the Indonesian market through Jakarta first rather than Bali.
Opening Hours:
Everyday from 11AM to 1AM (or 2AM on weekends)
Hooters reminds me of Red Square... They did a great job with the girls they recruited, very fun, open-minded and easy to talk to... My favorite is Stef (super hot, her photos here: https://www.instagram.com/stefromeoch/)
ReplyDeleteWhat's the point to "review" every shitty bar, hotel, restaurant, etc. At some point it's just all the same thing, no?
ReplyDeleteThis site reeks of the little guy with no life at home and who once in Asia can't stop sexpatting all over the place.
It's like this guy won't find peace until he has stepped foot in every hotel, bar, brothel and restaurant of the whole country and describing the whole thing in the slightest details for his sexpat friends..
Talk about human frustration... I've noticed the French are the worst sexpats, totally obsessed with fucking everything they can. Must have really not life in their home country. I always reject them and tell my girlfriends to avoid them.
Well, aren't you the original sourpuss? If you don't like bar reviews, why bother reading them all? Do something useful with your life.
Deletethe something useful in life was first, improving economic and kick westernization out from Indonesia (budaya barat merusak tatanan moral ketimuran bangsa ini !!!)
ReplyDeleteYes right... please stay true to your word and stop using the internet, stop watching movies, stop using medicine that works, stop using english, stop wearing shoes, stop using plastic, stop using electricity, don't ride a car or a motorbike, don't keep money in the bank, don't vote, don't read books, etc.
DeleteI was in Hooters yesterday and the review was mostly right. However, the girls now wear short skirts and T-shirts that show a healthy cleavage (possibly enhanced by a push-up bra). Food is reasonable but not cheap but it is served with a big smile. I like it.
ReplyDeletePricey, but the buffalo chicken sandwich is damn good. Service with a smile at lunch time today. I'll be back.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be possible if u open in bali
ReplyDelete