Robert H. Brooks | |
|---|---|
 Plaque of Hooters founder Robert H. Brooks at the Keiner Plaza Hooters inSt. Louis, Missouri, in 2010. | |
| Born | Robert Howell Brooks (1937-02-06)February 6, 1937 |
| Died | July 16, 2006(2006-07-16) (aged 69) |
| Alma mater | Clemson University |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, restaurateur, executive |
| Known for | Founder ofNaturally Fresh, Inc. Creator ofHooters of America |
Robert Howell Brooks (February 6, 1937 – July 16, 2006) was founder ofNaturally Fresh, Inc. in 1966 inAtlanta,Georgia. He helped create theHooters of America, Inc. restaurant chain that would eventually drive that company's rapid expansion in the mid–late 1990s.
Born inLoris, South Carolina (near theMyrtle Beach area), Brooks grew up on a tobacco farm. A 1960dairy science graduate ofClemson University, Brooks spent time in theUnited States Army before founding Naturally Fresh Foods, acondiment andsalad dressing manufacturer in the Atlanta area, in 1967.[citation needed]. He was raised asMethodist.[1]
In 1984, Hugh H Connerty Jr. bought the expansion and franchise rights for Hooters fromLynn D. Stewart and his five minority partners. Connerty founded Hooters America, Inc., along with a group of investors. Brooks bought out Connerty in 1991. He eventually got majority control and chairmanship of the entire organization. Under Brooks' leadership, Hooters expanded from half a dozen restaurants (in and aroundClearwater, Florida) in the mid-1980s; to over 430 stores worldwide (includingTaiwan,Venezuela, andSwitzerland).[citation needed]
The company also includedHooters Air, an airline that ran from 2004 to 2006; theHooters Pro Cup (auto racing); theHooters Pro Tour (golf); theHooters Casino Hotel inLas Vegas, Nevada, which opened in February 2006; and the HootersMasterCard, which debuted in March 2006.[citation needed]
Brooks purchased the Hooterstrademark from the company's founders in 2001. He turned over control of the company to his son, Coby, in 2003; and retired toMyrtle Beach, South Carolina. Brooks would still come up and visit the Atlanta headquarters on a weekly basis, though. Even after his retirement from Hooters, he was still affectionately known as the "World Wide Wing Commander" by company employees.[citation needed]
Brooks was namedGeorgia Entrepreneur of the Year in 1996.[citation needed]
Brooks was a major donor to universities inSouth Carolina. The Robert H. Brooks Performing Arts Center at Clemson, completed during the 1993-94 school year, was named in his honor following a large donation. He also donated $2 million toCoastal Carolina University (Conway, SC) in 2003 to create their first football stadium which the university namedBrooks Stadium in his children's honor. He also created the Brooks Motorsports Institute (now Brooks Institute for Sports Science), the first of its kind in the US, at Clemson University about the study of the motorsports industry in the US.[citation needed]
Brooks died inMyrtle Beach, South Carolina, on July 16, 2006, of acerebral aneurysm.His eldest son, Mark, from his first marriage predeceased him when he was killed on April 1, 1993 in a plane crash with1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion,Alan Kulwicki.[citation needed] Younger son Coby Brooks became President and CEO of Hooters, Inc. and Naturally Fresh, Inc., but left Hooters after the sale of the company in 2011.
Following the announcement of Brooks' death on July 17, 2006, the main page of the Hooters website changed their sign to "Farewell World Wide Wing Commander" that ran from July 17, 2006, to September 10, 2006. A tribute was also done in the July 31, 2006, comic stripPrickly City.[citation needed]
The 2007 Hooters swimsuit calendar was also dedicated in his memory.[2]
