What's wrong with Hooters?

The restaurant, that is. The Troy, Michigan City Council has voted to deny the Hooters franchise that has been in business there for 10 years a liquor license transfer to their new location, because "for some council members, the restaurant's image is not one they want to project along the Big Beaver corridor."

(My dirty mind interrupts - I think that Hooters is the perfect restaurant for something called the "Big Beaver Corridor". I'll be here all week, try the veal! Sorry, back to the story)

Says someone named Cristina Broomfield, a council member:

"It doesn't matter what you say or how you say it: Hooters is Hooters," said Troy City Council member Cristina Broomfield, who voted against transferring the license. "That is not something that we feel we want in the gateway of the City of Troy."

I never tire of marveling at the arrogance of these tinpot city officials, who think that they're empowered to legislate every blade of grass in their city. They were happy to collect the restaurant's tax revenue for years, and now that they have moved to an apparently higher-profile area, the council wants to run them out of business. Hooters does not sell illegal items, feature nudity or otherwise do anything controversial. They are a restaurant that sells average food, using waitresses that wear more clothes than the average sunbather at a public pool or beach. Where exactly are your grounds for denial, councilmembers, other than that "we are snobs"?

Unfortunately, this is not a unique situation for Hooters, especially here in Minnesota. A local franchise opened in the city of Burnsville recently, to moans and groans from the City Council there. Another one recently opened in the Block E entertainment complex, to unrelenting criticism from the Minneapolis City Council. Some of their whining:

"Damn it," said Council Member Gary Schiff, in hearing the news yesterday.
"I'm very disappointed at the people in Block E," echoed Council Member Natalie Johnson Lee, whose ward includes Block E.
"As a parent who's raising teenagers, with a family who spends a lot of time and money at Block E, I am deeply disappointed," said Mayor R.T. Rybak.

Mayor Rybak's family must be one of the only ones spending money at Block E, given its recent black eyes of shootings and teen gang activity, which is so bad that one business is playing opera music at high volume outside its doors to help disperse the little buggers. Business is also reportedly not as good as was expected, typical for a development that was driven by government rather than the free market. (The City Council pushed for the redevelopment of the area, and invested 39 million of the taxpayer's dollars into the project).

My favorite quote comes from former Minneapolis City Council member Natalie Johnson Lee:

"Council member Johnson Lee said she met with the Marso brothers last week to explain that constituents did not want the restaurant downtown, but said there is nothing the city can do to stop it."

I'm sure that the Marso brothers appreciated your impotent hissy fit, Ms. Lee. With stellar work like that, no wonder you're a former City Council member. If the constituents truly don't want the restaurant there, the free market will close them down. Why not let it work?

Hooters has filed a lawsuit and begun a PR campaign in Michigan to fight this silly denial. Good luck, guys.