Joost van der Westhuizen and key staff members from the J9 Foundation were also in attendance.

Hooters SA COO, Gordon Jestin stated, “It was great to celebrate this milestone in the life of Hooters South Africa with our close friends, trusted partners and avid Hooters fans. There was a general sense of excitement and goodwill amongst all our guests, making this a memorable night for all.” The launch party was also held in honour of a good cause. Raffle tickets were sold to all VIP attendees with proceeds being donated to Joost van der Westhuizen’s J9 Foundation. Hooters further matched the amount to reach the grand total of R12 000 that is being donated to the charity.

“We were thrilled to be able to contribute a substantial monetary donation to the J9 Foundation to assist in the running of this worthy cause. We have chosen to maintain a close relationship with this foundation as Hooters SA believes it is important to honour our local sporting heroes and to contribute to the local community,” said Hooters SA marketing manager, Roger Masson.

According to Quinton van der Walt from the J9 Foundation, Hooters’ generous donation will be put to good use in the new year. “This very welcome donation from Hooters SA will go a long way to making a difference in the lives of those suffering with Motor Neuron Disease and their families as we head into 2014. With this donation we will be able to help more families come to terms with the disease while also making their last days with their loved ones more comfortable,” said Van der Walt.

The 'new look' Hooters on the Willows, with less pine, darker wooden finishes, a brighter open entrance and central bar, was designed in accordance with the new look being rolled out in the US Hooters branches. The 715 square metres, that includes a verandah and has 230 seats was filled to overflowing as guests enjoyed some good company and classic Hooters dishes like their famous Hooters Wings.

The restaurant opened its doors to the public on Tuesday, 17 December with the restaurant reaching full seating capacity within one hour of opening. Mike Pruitt, chairperson and chief executive officer of Chanticleer Holdings the parent company of Hooters SA, is delighted with the response from the locals to the opening of the fifth Hooters branch in South Africa. “It is wonderful to have a new Hooters branch opening in the nation’s capital – further expanding our footprint in South Africa. We are confident that it will be a great success and hopefully become a local hot spot for the entire fun-loving and sports enthusiastic Pretoria community,” said Pruitt.

For more information, visit www.hooterssouthafrica.com. Alternatively, visit the Facebook page or follow @Hooters_SA on Twitter.