As a result of recent growth, Hooters Restaurants Australia is preparing for a nationwide expansion, with between 10 and 25 new franchises opening over the next 10 years.

There are now two Hooters restaurants in Australia - one in Sydney's Parramatta and the other in Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast - but since Morney Schlesch took over as chief operating officer in September 2009, business has grown 35 per cent.

This growth is partly due to a new menu launch, which according to Schlebusch, caters for Australia's more refined palate and saw the addition of ribs, lamb, pork, fish and a range of different cuts of beef added to Hooters' offering.

"I can only see the brand going from strength to strength and more and more stores opening up all over Australia," he said. "New franchise owners will have full support, not just from me but from the global head office in the US."

This support also comes in the form of financial assistance, Schlebusch explained.  "To open one of these businesses costs between $1 million and $1.5 million. So what we've decided to do is fund the majority of that money into the franchise."

Depending on the agreement, franchisees will then have the chance to buy the remaining share of the business from the franchisor, or sell their part in the franchise back, said Schlebusch.

The expansion will be Australia-wide and will involve opening 10 new Hooters outlets in major cities - one every six months - after which the franchise will start focusing on opening smaller stores as part of its efforts to maintain its local neighbourhood restaurant image.

The ideal Hooters franchisee, Schlebusch said, is someone who has had at least a couple of year's experience in the retail industry, preferably in food service, with a lot of energy, a focus on customer satisfaction and an honest, reliable approach to business.