Hooters® Wing-Eating Competition Finale Set For July 26 In Clearwater, Fla Where Professional Eaters Will Compete For Title And Cash Prize

ATLANTA, July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, chicken wing expert, Hooters, announced that its nationwide wing-eating competition, in partnership with Major League Eating (MLE), will conclude its tour with a grand finale event on Thursday, July 26 at 7 p.m. where it all began at the original Hooters restaurant in Clearwater, Fla.

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The professional eaters -- all of whom qualified for the championship by winning one of a dozen regional events around the country -- are expected to eat an average of around 120 wings in 10 minutes.  Hooters will crown the wing-eating world champion during a special event as part of a weekend celebration of National Chicken Wing Day, which is Sunday, July 29. That day, participating Hooters locations across the country will offer a special promotion, "buy 10 wings, get 10 wings free" for dine-in guests.  

"For nearly 30 years Hooters has been known for our original, fresh never frozen, world-famous chicken wings and so it's only natural that we mark National Chicken Wing Day with a wing-eating competition and a special promotion for our loyal customers," said David Henninger, CMO, Hooters of America, LLC.  "We invite all Hooters fans to stop by the original Hooters restaurant in Clearwater Florida  and help us celebrate our heritage and crown the first world wing eating champion."

The Hooters Wing-Eating World Championship tour kicked off in Augusta, Ga., during the Masters Golf Tournament on April 5 with Major League Eater Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas.  Regional competitions took place throughout the summer and the finalists of those contests will compete for the title of "Wing-Eating World Champion" at the original Hooters of Clearwater. This is the first time the chicken wing eating discipline has been part of a championship circuit to identify and crown an official world champion.

Hooters wing fans can watch the contest, which will be streamed on Facebook and learn details about the finale event through Hooters Facebook page.   Hooters of Clearwater is located at 2800 Gulf-To-Bay Blvd., Clearwater, FL  33755

About Hooters
Hooters of America, LLC, is the franchisor and operator of over 430 Hooters restaurants in 44 states and 27 foreign countries.  The first Hooters opened in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida.  Hooters is well-known for its brand of food and fun, featuring a casual beach-theme atmosphere, a menu that features seafood, sandwiches and Hooters nearly, world famous chicken wings, and service provided by the All-American cheerleaders, the Hooters Girls.  For more information about Hooters visit www.Hooters.com, www.twitter.com/Hooters, www.YouTube.com/Hooters, or www.Facebook.com/Hooters.

About Major League Eating
Major League Eating (MLE), the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 80 events annually, including the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. and the CP Foods Biggest Eater Championship in Bangkok, Thailand. The competitive eating community is made up of more than 8,000 veteran and rookie gurgitators who travel the world in search of top titles and the glory that they provide. For more information, visit www.IFOCE.com, www.facebook.com/eatfast or Twitter @eatingcontest.

SOURCE Hooters of America, LLC