I'm a Hooters Girl AMA

Did you start out at Raisins?

:p

Why are you referred to as a "hooters girl" and not a "hootress"?

Good question.

Can I please just have some food?

Preferably boneless wings

Agree with the boneless wings, and is it just me or do they look like they're all in high school?

A lot of the girls are in high school, so thats not a terrible observation.

Whats the strangest request you have had from a customer?

I've had a customer ask what I was eating (it was gum) and they gave me $50 for it. They actually put it in their mouth. I ended up selling the table $300 worth of gum. Seriously.

Some times you have to go the extra mile to get good tips!

It was more entertaining than anything, and a funny story on top of making great money that night.

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Severely inebriated would be an understatement.

i like the atmosphere as much as the next guy, but does anyone go in there specifically for the food? lets not kid ourselves. your wings are terrible.

Haha, I personally don't hate the food. I've worked there for almost 2 years and I'm still not sick of it. I obviously see tons of guys come in, but I see families and couples come in every day. If that says anything.

I went to get all you can eat boneless wings with my girlfriend all the time. I don't go there to hit on the girls, I know they sit down and flirt to get a tip, I just actually love the boneless Cajun wings

See! The food really isn't as terrible as everyone makes it seem. And couples go in there like its a normal restaurant. I'm sure the girls treat you like any waitress would.

Not sure why people act like it's a goddamn strip club. I've been there with my grandmother multiple times to grab some lunch. It's basically decent bar food and the waitresses are usually pretty and really sweet. Plus the things I've done in strip clubs would never fly at hooters lol.

Thank you! Its really not anything crazy, I see 80 year old women come in by themselves, along with couples and families. I've actually seen an 86 year old woman come in to celebrate her birthday, it was adorable.

Do you have many orange coworkers?

In what sense?

I have been told candidate hooters servers have to stand facing a wall, and if their upper parts touch the wall before their feet, they pass. Is there any truth to this at all?

I've heard that rumor too, but completely false.

are teenagers the worst of all since they probably gawk just as creepily as older men, but dont have the cash to drop a generous tip?

Absolutely. We all run when we see a table of teens. The typical orders will sound like: 'just a water and some fries'.. 'how much is a coke?' ..'can we split this?'.. 'whats the cheapest thing you have?' All you can do is get them in and out as fast as possible, no small talk.

Do you ever get nasty looks from other women? Can you tell when a woman comes in with a man and she obviously isn't comfortable being there?

Absolutely, the best thing to do is pretty much ignore the guy and be as polite as possible to the girl. Sometimes girls come in trying to be the 'cool' girlfriend, but end up feeling threatened and uncomfortable. Which is completely unwarranted.

That's nice of ya. Trying to make the girl feel more comfortable and not trying to impose anything or flirt with the male.

But what if the male gets agitated because you're ignoring the dude?

In my experience thats never happened, obviously I still talk with them, just I don't ignore the girl. The guys not an idiot, if hes with his girlfriend he'll understand why I'm not being flirty with him.

What "techniques" do managers or other hooters girl tell you to get higher tips?

edit: I'm not talking about any dirty things just, like how they tell you to flirt

We actually go through a 'renegade hospitality course' where they teach us how to market ourselves and create mutually beneficial relationships with customers. They like when we personalize our sections (ie decorate with balloons, come up with personlized menus, etc). They want us to make the customers day: theres special birthday songs, bachelor songs, bad day songs etc.

Wtf, I have never seen a hooters girl sing. Ever.

Really?! Tell them its someones birthday next time you go. I think there also used to be choreographed dances, but we're not allowed to do those anymore.

Why not? :(

I think they were considered too sexy, and not family friendly. This was before my time though, so I cant say for sure

is it true that you have a weight requirement? Also can men work as waiters? How old is too old?

No specific weight requirement. However, Hooters only carries uniforms in sizes xxs, xs and s. Men are allowed to work in the kitchen, as bussers and hosts (I've never seen one though). Technically there is no such thing as too old, its illegal to fire someone for their age. I've worked at a Hooters in Daytona where two of the bartenders are in their late thirties.

The first time I went to hooters...a guy was taking our order and bringing out the food. I mean what's the point of going to hooters if you don't see hooters.

Sometimes a manager will come help out if the girls are overwhelmed. But I've never heard of a male Hooters server.

How do girls with large hooters fit into s size uniforms?

A lot of stretching.

Daytona has some very nice girls.

Its true, I work in Jacksonville but during the big races they have some of us go down to help out. Always a good time.

Cup size?

34c

The first restaurant I went to when I found out my friend had killed himself was a Hooters. No questions, I just want to say thank you for the genuine hospitality you all bring to the environment. I really needed it then.

No, thank you. I'm really sorry for your loss, but I'm glad we were able to help, even just a little. And for the most part the hospitality is genuine: the girls are having fun, the customers are having fun, everyone is happy. Its an awesome atmosphere to be around.

My sister works at hooters and she tells me about her regulars that leave her 100$ tips, bring her food, buy her bongs and one guy bought her a bmw. Do you have any regulars that do crazy stuff for you?

Well shit, a bmw? I need to work at that hooters haha. Regulars definitely do hook it up, they always bring in food, starbucks etc. One of my regulars has club seats at a local arena so hes given me 2nd row tickets to rascall flats and kenny chesney concerts. That same guy is friendly with guy harvey so for my 21st birthday he got me this which I thought was pretty cool... http://instagram.com/p/L_LZmRtzY2/

Do you eat any of the food you serve there? If so, do you have a favorite item?

I eat everything. Its awful. I really do love most of the food that we serve: burgers, boneless wings, the fish tacos are really good. We recently got a blackened mahi sandwich which is to die for. I gained some weight when I started working at hoots (which I recently lost) but I really have to watch what I eat because most of the food is terrible for you.

How do you deal with pervs?

Luckily there are less than you'd expect, but I have perfected the passive aggressive comebacks and letdowns when necessary. Theres no touching, no crude comments and if a girl feels uncomfortable the manager will ask the guest to leave.

what's an example of one of your comebacks?

If someone asks to order me (i.e. are you on the menu?) I'll politely let them know that they could never afford that.

so we're just haggling about price then?

Touche

"Are you on the menu?"

"Oh you! Hehehehehehe!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW8j3x3GzxY

:)

Does hooters serve milk? I saw it on the menu once, and when I ordered it the waitress looked at me like I was a pervert.

Pretty sure this is a joke, but my Hooters does not serve milk.

I'm from the Philippines. One wedding reception I attended was at hooters.

what!? I've never heard of anything like that ahaha

Is there a minimum on cup size? Also what's your least favorite thing about working at Hooters?

No minimum cup size. Some of the girls are completely flat chested while some are DDs. Relatively pretty is all thats required. Least favorite thing is the stigma that goes along with the Hooters Girl title.

Let's be honest, no one would go to Hooters if the waitresses weren't attractive. The food is not that great.

People definitely go for the experience as a whole.

Could you please submit a current photo with a dated note for comparison? Thanks.

http://imgur.com/N3gAhDA

Is your "boss" friendly or the stereotypical pimp?

In my two years with the company I've had more female managers than male. But either way, all of my managers have been incredible. The girls are awesome because they're previous Hooters girls who know what we go through (on the floor and also just normal girl stuff). The guys have always been super cool too, nothing like the creeps on undercover boss. Theres a chain of command- we can bypass our manager and contact the regional manager if we ever have any kind of problem, sexual harassment etc

I searched for the Undercover Boss, and was about to get pissed if I saw the President/CEO was the creep, but glad to see it wasn't him!

The CEO who was featured on undercover boss actually stopped working for the company not too long after the episode aired! (nothing to do with the show)

Have any of the girls you've worked with accepted cash for after-work sexual favors?

Never. We sometimes hang out with regulars and girls have ended up dating customers but never anything that could be confused with prostitution.

Wait, wait, wait so you're saying there's a chance that the Hooters girl really does like me?

It could happen! :p

Would you like to see new uniforms? Not the style per se but man those colours are looking dated

There actually is a new logo, I'm not a huge fan. The uniform is staying the same, just a new owl. I've grown really used to the uniform and the style. I think the orange shorts are key for brand recognition and definitely wont be going anywhere anytime soon.

Why are you the only one wearing a different city!?

A lot of times regulars will go on vacation, out of town, etc and stop at different hooters and bring us back tanks from other cities.

What made you get into your job?

I was working at a local dive bar, sometimes making only $20 a night. There was a hooters down the street so I figured what the hell, why not try it out.

Okay. One last thing: does your management allow transgender women to work there as waitresses?

Good question, I've never heard anything about a situation like that arising.

why were you making only $20 a night?

It was a really, really shitty bar thats not open anymore.

Is it flattering or annoying when older men comment about your looks?

It depends on how they say it. Theres a respectable way to compliment a person and a raunchy, unacceptable way. People of all ages can be creeps.

How often do you get asked for your number on a weekly basis? And have you ever given your number out?

Several times a day. For the most part I'll ask for the guys and then just throw it out. Sometimes you get cornered into giving out your number, but then you can just ignore the texts/calls until they get the hint. I do have guy friends who I've met at hooters who I've given my number to. Usually you can tell the super creeps and know when not to give out your number.

You should probably get a Google Voice number and dish that out instead to the creepers.

I have given out fake numbers before. Oops.

What happened?

Who knows, luckily I haven't ran into them again

I'm English! What the hell is Hooters? Sounds like my kind of place.

!! I didnt know there were no Hooters there, I know there are some international stores, I'm not exactly sure where. Long story short, pretty girls in tiny uniforms serve mediocre chicken wings. Hooters tagline is 'delightfully tacky yet unrefined' if that says anything about the brand :p

What are your goals? How long do you think that you'll work at Hooters? And what do you want to do next?

I'm in school right now working on a pr degree. I'm very into the edm scene and hope to work in the music industry. I'll probably stay with Hooters for a while, because they're really flexible when it comes to my school schedule and any time off that I need. I work/go to school in fl, but ny is home. I took 2 months off last summer and had no problem getting right back on the schedule.

I have to say, the first time I ever dined at a Hooters restaurant, my server was clearly pregnant. I am a female and I didn't really mind her status, but I kind of more expected a beautiful looking woman sans baby belly. Ha ha That was in Oklahoma City a few years back.

I have seen a handful of pregnant Hooters girls as it is against the law to fire someone for being pregnant. There is a different uniform for hooters girls who are expecting.

When people ask what you do, do you tell them straight out or try to get around it?

Do you like your job?

I have no problem telling people where I work. Most people don't bat an eyelash. In the same breath I always mention that I'm also a student. I really do like being a Hooters girl, its a great company to work for and I love the people I work with.

Do you have a boyfriend? If so, is he super jealous that his GF works at hooters? Or does it not bother him? I only ask because at my local hooters, there is a waitress whos BF is ALWAYS lingering around the bar while shes working. He doesnt really do anything wrong or cause problems, but I've always wondered...

I've had two boyfriends while working at Hooters, neither really cared. Sometimes when we would be arguing about my bf talking to other girls etc, he would bring up that my job is to walk around in minimal clothing for guys to look at.. but its never been a serious issue.

Do you ever feel objectified?

Absolutely, but I knew that going into the job. If someone can't accept that, they shouldn't work at Hooters. Girls are hired for being attractive, but I don't think theres anything wrong with taking advantage of your looks. I wasn't forced to work here, I decided to.

Don't you find it annoying that some man state at your boobs?

Its part of life honestly, I have gotten kind of numb to it by working at Hooters. But its something that you just have to deal with, orange shorts or not.

I don't know how chicks do it - the more attractive the harder it must be in terms of guys staring and giving some inappropriate comments.

I mean yes, but I'm not going to sit and cry about how hard it is being attractive. I have had countless opportunities handed to me simply because I'm good looking. Its not fair, but its life.

I would assume that when you apply to hooters you accept that you are there to be stared at. I mean that in the nicest possible way of course.

Oh for sure, I'm not an idiot. Anyone who applies at hooters thinking they aren't glorified eye candy is delusional.

Theres an up charge for all drum stick wings, but how about if all i want is the mid wing?? Can i do that?

You can ask for all flats, no upcharge. Don't quite understand the logic on that one either.

what was the biggest tip you ever received?

The table I chewed gum for ended up giving me in total $600. But for just a normal table it was $200. I was working one night when another girl got $1000 tip.

When you started working did it take you by surprise or was it what you was expecting? How the guys treated you and the likes.

It was actually better than I was expecting. I've also worked as a cart girl at a golf course and that was way more uncomfortable. At the golf course there were tons of rich, old men who thought they were gods gift to the earth and that they could get away with saying anything they wanted because they have money and a country club membership.

are you hired as a model or as a waitress? I've heard you can be hired as a model and they can fire you based off your image, gain weight, etc.

I think my exact title is 'hooters girl' im not positive though. They take a picture of us when we get hired and we're told that if we vary too far from the picture (weight, hair color/length) they reserve the right to fire us. They also give us a free gym membership and discounts at tanning/hair salons so we can keep up appearances. I know when I worked at hollister I was technically a 'model', thats how they got away with only hiring good looking kids.

haha I've been asked that before, but just a rumor

I'm not sure I consider a random, untagged Instagram photo to be valid proof.

I'm new to reddit, whats a more legit way? Thats my insta: ashstahl my twitter: https://twitter.com/ashstahl_ My latest tweet referring to reddit

I take it you deal with these types of people all the time, but what is the crudest customer you've ever encountered?

I have a hard time thinking of the crudest customer I've had, because typically its not that bad. Most of the time I'll get normal compliments and some borderline creepy ones, but nothing too crude.

What are the top 3 pros and cons of working at hooters?

Pros: Better money than average restaurant, very flexible schedule, more laid back and fun than average restaurant. Cons: Stereotype that comes along with it, not allowed to wear nail polish, the sneakers are a pain in the ass to clean and relatively expensive to replace

Why no nail polish?

Not sure exactly, we're allowed to wear french or clear thats it.

Do you truly believe after working at Hooters that it is a 'family friendly restaurant'? Or to ask another way if you had a 10 yr old daughter would u want to take her to Hooters on a regular basis to eat dinner?

I absolutely believe its a family friendly restaurant. I have a couple different families who have become weekly regulars. Husband, wife, daughters, sons. Sure, the outfits are kind of skimpy, but no worse than youd see at the beach.

Have you ever slept with a customer?

never

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Hmm, I'm actually having a hard time thinking of anything because there are hardly any issues like that. I'm a very straight forward, no bullshit kind of person, even when I'm working. I'm not flirty or touchy and if you say something I don't like or that makes me uncomfortable I will absolutely tell you to stop. A younger, very innocent coworker of mine was approached by an older 'swinger' couple about hooking up with them, and she was absolutely horrified, I had to take over the table while she hid in the back. Needless to say it was a little uncomfortable explaining to the couple that they had scared off their previous waitress.

I saw an episode of Undercover Boss where it was found out several Hooters locations had very sexist and inappropriate male managers. Do you encounter any problems like this from staff?

Alternately, how do you usually handle any inappropriate comments or gestures made by guests in the restaurant? Does it happen often?

I've seen that episode of undercover boss, and like most things on tv it was pretty fabricated. They found the worst of the worst and drew attention to that, surprisingly enough I've never seen people outside protesting against hooters either :p But on a serious note all of my managers have been amazing. I've had male and female managers, all of whom have been incredibly professional and well-mannered. One of the girls at my store started dating a manager so he ended up quitting because it was against policy (sucks for him because they ended up breaking up not too long after)

Rude and inappropriate comments are less common then you'd expect, we get used to brushing off some creeps but if it gets too far the manager will ask them to leave. Hooters (at least my store) really wants to make us feel safe and comfortable while we're working. In the end, it is a restaurant and not a strip club.

Do people lie about their bday a lot?

nope, most of the time their friends tell us about it and the birthday-person is reluctant and embarrassed.

What's are some things that customers do that drive you absolutely crazy?

Leave bad tips, sit at a table for hours not ordering anything, ask for a knife for fried pickles (theyre bite sized for a reason), ask how much every thing costs, let their kids run amuck

Ever had a couple try to pick you up (while at work)?

I haven't personally but I've seen it. An older swinger couple asked one of the girls to join them in their swinger relationship. She was absolutely horrified.

I used to work as a server so I know how rough some tables can be as far as high demands and low tips. How often do you encounter this?

Also do you have any sort of ridiculous things that you can get written up for? Like I know that I would get written up if a table walked on me.

There are obviously ups and downs of being a server, and shitty customers come with the territory. I think Hooters girls get cut some slack because we're cute and bubbly and that makes up for any mistakes. But we still get shitty tables, and shitty tips and shitty people, but you just take it with a grain of salt. My hooters is the 4th Hooters ever and its not in a tourist location, so we have lots of regulars who are really good to us. They make up for the occasional bad customer.

I've never gotten written up but we do have very strict guidelines on appearance. We can get sent home if we violate any of those guidelines.

What are the guidelines on appearance? I mean for a serving job you usually have to look decent, but are there any more extreme clauses?

Oh yeah. Where to start? There is a whole image book and class that we have to sit through. The words glamourous and styled are used a lot. Makeup needs to be done. Hair needs to be styled and down. No jewelry other than a wedding/promise ring and one small stud in each ear. Nails must be kept up, only french or clear polish allowed. Any tattoos must be covered. The uniform spotless. At the beginning of each shift we have "image check" where we slowly spin in front of the manager while they check that we're up to par. When I worked in Daytona for race week they even asked us to lift our arms so they could check if we had shaved our underarms.

What's the best pickup line you've ever received while working? The worst?

I really cant think of any off the top of my head, so clearly none were very memorable. I do love the silly harry potter ones though, 'going to bed? mind if i slytherin?'

How quick are you (or bartenders there) to cut off drinkers? I would think Hooters would be quicker to do so, so as to avoid an incident taking place. Anyone ever get hammered and try something gross (like jerkin it or whatever)?

Hooters is quick to cut off drinkers only because it is a huge corporation. Nothing to do with the environment. They're more concerned with lawsuits from drunk driving etc. Luckily I've never seen anything that lewd.