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They’ve gone from D-cups to sippie cups.
A Long Island Hooters has figured out a way to thrive while the rest of the sexy dining chain is facing corporate bankruptcy and financial failures — by being family-friendly.
The Farmingdale location is no longer just a place for bros and businessmen to gawk at scantily clad waitresses, but a location for team celebrations and family dinners — and where children are even known to use crayons to draw their own “Hooters girls,” eatery insiders said.
“We have so many families that come in. Kids birthday parties, that’s a huge thing here…People love to celebrate birthdays,” bartender Liana Pirraglia, a one-time Hooters calendar girl, told The Post.
“I’ve had girls after they went prom dress shopping down the block.”
The staff still wears the infamous Hooters outfits — but the Farmingdale location has an atmosphere more like an Applebee’s or Chili’s thanks to the local community, which doesn’t seem to care about the chain’s notorious reputation and just likes to go for the food.
“What’s fun about Hooters is that sometimes your reputation precedes you…a reputation that’s not 100% accurate,” said Dan Gadbois, director of Hooters New York and New England of the Long Island spot. He called the location the “backbone” of the Northeast for Hooters.
“We do have a lot of couples, and families and women that come in — just have great chicken wings and a cold drink and love the great service.”
The family friendly atmosphere was an attraction for Sean and Jacque Llewellyn, who brought in their three tween boys Thursday afternoon and raved about the location.
“Whenever you bring kids somewhere they’re not welcome, you always get the look as soon as you walk in,” Sean said. “That’s certainly not the case here…and I think Hooters has toned down its brand over the years too.”
The Sea Cliff family — who came after the boys had been begging for the longest time — only care about the important stuff.
“We’re here for the wings,” said Sean, who gave a huge thumbs up at first bite.
Friendly neighborhood Hooters
Kids are known to enjoy the establishment, according to Pirraglia, who gushed that “they’re so sweet.”
“I like when little girls draw me a photo or they draw their own Hooters girl,” the bartender said of the collection of cute little artwork.
LI is also a home run thanks to its “youth sports” presence, said Gadbois, a former assistant manager with the chain in Albany.
“We see a ton of sports teams,” he said. “One of the biggest things we see is a baseball team, or a baseball tournament…they have a wing party and celebrate their win that day.”
And, Pirraglia boasted that most customers are on a first-name basis with the staff in low-cut tops and tight orange shorts.
“You create this nice friendship with a lot of customers, they feel like it’s something special — or like they’re going to go see a friend,” she said.
“Even on a slow Monday, they still make the effort to come.”
LI’s love for the gals moved Farmingdale server Anette Valenzuela to say, “This is the best job I’ve ever had.”
“I’ve made so many friends,” she said with a smile. “I love my managers, I love the environment, I love the people.”
The unconventional approach, more than anything, is why the staff say regulars have been keeping the lights on at the spot off bustling Route 110, which is, ironically, mere minutes from two strip clubs.
Competitor Tilted Kilt once tried encroaching on the Hooters location around a decade ago, but locals wouldn’t buy it — literally, as the chain quickly shuttered its establishment.
“Long Island customers have been very loyal to us through the years,” Gadbois said.
Pirraglia even recalled that the Farmingdale phone was ringing off the hook last Spring as panicked patrons needed assurance that the eatery wouldn’t fold upon the bankruptcy filing.
“There was a lot of hysteria at the start,” she said. “I think it was a great relief to a lot of people that we were staying open.”
Birds of a feather
Farmingdale shares its exceptional success with another location a few westbound miles down the Long Island Expressway in Queens, where the Fresh Meadows Hooters is also hanging on.
“I’ve made over $2,000 in tips in one night,” Fresh Meadows sever Ashely Diana said, lauding her regular customers for regularly showering her with cash.
Fresh Meadows especially thrives during the summer as a hot spot for hot wings thanks to its popular outdoor patio. It’s also conveniently located by an AMC movie theater that draws folks to their favorite Hooters chicks after their flicks, explained the director.
“Hooters of America obviously has had some massive financial issues,” said Gadbois, “but [these two] have been steadfast.”
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