Robert H. Brooks
Encyclopedia
Robert H. Brooks was founder of Naturally Fresh, Inc.
in 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia
, and later created the Hooters of America
restaurant chain in the mid-1980s.
(near the Myrtle Beach
area), Brooks grew up on a tobacco farm. A 1960 dairy science
graduate of Clemson University
, Brooks spent time in the United States Army
before founding Naturally Fresh Foods, a condiment
and salad dressing manufacturer in the Atlanta area, in 1967. In 1984, Brooks bought expansion and franchise rights for the Hooters chain with a group of investors, eventually getting majority control and chairmanship of the organization.
) to over 430 stores worldwide, including Taiwan
, Venezuela
, and Switzerland
. It also included Hooters Air
, an airline that ran from 2004 to 2006, the Hooters Pro Cup (auto racing
), the Hooters Pro Tour
(golf
), the Hooters Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
that opened in February 2006, and Hooters MasterCard
that debuted in March 2006. He was named Georgia
Entrepreneur of the Year in 1996.
Brooks purchased the Hooters trademark from the company's founders in 2001, then turned over control of the company to his son, Coby, in 2003 and retired to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
though he would come up and visit the Atlanta headquarters on a weekly basis. Even after his retirement from Hooters, he was still affectionately known as the "World Wide Wing Commander" by many within the company.
. 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 to Coastal Carolina University
(Conway, SC) in 2003 to create their first football stadium which the university named Brooks 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.
in 2005 when it was found out that one of the refugees from Hurricane Katrina
spent $200 on a bottle of expensive champagne at the restaurant, earning praise from government officials for his actions.
on July 15, 2006 of a heart attack
.
Brooks is survived by his wife Tami, and four children Coby
, Boni, Jerrett Oates (stepson), and Christi Oates (stepdaughter). A fifth child, Mark, was killed in an April 1, 1993 plane crash with 1992 NASCAR
Winston Cup (now NASCAR Sprint Cup) champion Alan Kulwicki
that also took the lives of two other passengers.
.
The 2007 Hooters swimsuit calendar was also dedicated in his memory.
Naturally Fresh, Inc.
Naturally Fresh, Inc. was founded in 1966 as Eastern Foods by Robert H. Brooks the founder of Hooters of America to sell coffee and cream to the airline industry. It is currently one of the largest manufacturers of sauces and salad dressings in the United States...
in 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, and later created the Hooters of America
Hooters
Hooters is the trade name of two privately held American restaurant chains: Hooters of America, Incorporated, based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Hooters, Incorporated, based in Clearwater, Florida...
restaurant chain in the mid-1980s.
Early life and career
Born in Loris, South CarolinaLoris, South Carolina
Loris is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,079 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Loris is located at ....
(near the Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
area), Brooks grew up on a tobacco farm. A 1960 dairy science
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
graduate of Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
, Brooks spent time in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
before founding Naturally Fresh Foods, a condiment
Condiment
A condiment is an edible substance, such as sauce or seasoning, added to food to impart a particular flavor, enhance its flavor, or in some cultures, to complement the dish. Many condiments are available packaged in single-serving sachets , like mustard or ketchup, particularly when supplied with...
and salad dressing manufacturer in the Atlanta area, in 1967. In 1984, Brooks bought expansion and franchise rights for the Hooters chain with a group of investors, eventually getting majority control and chairmanship of the organization.
Involvement with Hooters
Under Brooks' leadership, Hooters would expand from half a dozen restaurants (in and around Clearwater, FloridaClearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
) to over 430 stores worldwide, including Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It also included Hooters Air
Hooters Air
Hooters Air was an airline headquartered in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA. Hooters Air flights were operated by Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Pace Airlines both as ad-hoc private charters, and as scheduled USDOT public charters...
, an airline that ran from 2004 to 2006, the Hooters Pro Cup (auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
), the Hooters Pro Tour
NGA Hooters Tour
The National Golf Association Pro Golf Tour is a developmental men's professional golf tour in the United States. It includes approximately twenty 72-hole Pro Series events and three 54-hole Qualifying School Prep Series events each year throughout the US South and Midwest. The NGA Pro Golf Tour...
(golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
), the Hooters Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
that opened in February 2006, and Hooters MasterCard
MasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
that debuted in March 2006. He was named Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
Entrepreneur of the Year in 1996.
Brooks purchased the Hooters trademark from the company's founders in 2001, then turned over control of the company to his son, Coby, in 2003 and retired to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
though he would come up and visit the Atlanta headquarters on a weekly basis. Even after his retirement from Hooters, he was still affectionately known as the "World Wide Wing Commander" by many within the company.
Donations to South Carolina universities
Brooks was also a major donor to universities in South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. 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 to Coastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University is an independent, state-supported, liberal arts university in Conway, South Carolina, USA, located eight miles west of Myrtle Beach. Founded in 1954, Coastal became an independent university in 1993. The University enrolls approximately 8,300 students on its campus...
(Conway, SC) in 2003 to create their first football stadium which the university named Brooks Stadium
Brooks Stadium
Brooks Stadium is a 9,112-seat multi-purpose stadium in Conway, South Carolina. It is home to the Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers football team. The facility opened in 2003 and is named in honor of Coby Garrett Brooks and Boni Belle Brooks, children of the late Robert "Bob" Brooks. ...
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.
Hooters and Hurricane Katrina
Brooks returned $200 to the Federal Emergency Management AgencyFederal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
in 2005 when it was found out that one of the refugees from Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
spent $200 on a bottle of expensive champagne at the restaurant, earning praise from government officials for his actions.
Death
He died in Myrtle Beach, South CarolinaMyrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
on July 15, 2006 of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.
Brooks is survived by his wife Tami, and four children Coby
Coby G. Brooks
Coby G. Brooks is the former President & CEO of Hooters, Inc. and Naturally Fresh, Inc. He is the son of Hooters creator Robert H. Brooks...
, Boni, Jerrett Oates (stepson), and Christi Oates (stepdaughter). A fifth child, Mark, was killed in an April 1, 1993 plane crash with 1992 NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Winston Cup (now NASCAR Sprint Cup) champion Alan Kulwicki
Alan Kulwicki
Alan Dennis Kulwicki , nicknamed "Special K" and the "Polish Prince", was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series racecar driver. He started racing at local short tracks in Wisconsin before moving up to regional stock car touring series...
that also took the lives of two other passengers.
Tributes to Brooks
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 strip Prickly CityPrickly City
Prickly City is a daily comic strip drawn by Scott Stantis, the editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune, and distributed through United Features Syndicate. The cartoon follows the adventures of Carmen, a young Hispanic girl in pigtails, and a coyote pup named Winslow...
.
The 2007 Hooters swimsuit calendar was also dedicated in his memory.