Michael Scott from The Office once eloquently summed up why people love Hooters so much: “boobs and hot wings.”
But while men around the world sure get a kick out of it, it’s not always a fun experience for the women who work there.
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Thanks to these 10+ confessions, we know now that they deal with creepy managers, handsy customers, and so much more.
You have to look a certain way
While most jobs allow you to work sans makeup, Hooters isn’t that way. This user shared that you have to have blush, mascara, and lipstick on, in addition to your hair being styled.
For some, it’s nothing more than a way to make money
“It was a paycheck. There were regulars who were pleasant and made it more enjoyable. Of course there are drunks but that just goes with the territory. Management were sleezebags and the whole concept is going ot attract people like that. I just wanted to move on.” – Redditor B166-ER
There are biweekly secret shoppers
Talk about job pressure! This user shared that a secret shopper would come in twice per week and if you messed up twice, you would be fired.
They saw good waitresses lose their jobs when their sections had too many tables to do a good job.
Some bosses are creeps
“Honestly I had a lot of fun working there. Still friends with most of the people 5 or 6 years later. On the other hand though didn’t get paid [expletive] all and the boss was a creep.” – Redditor Gingerchaun
The managers and customers can get handsy
“Managers and customers were ridiculously handsy. I mean, I recognize why people go there, but it’s not a damn strip club. Also, we were in a fairly poor area, and the tips were horrible. A lot of the dudes that came in there seemed to do so because they couldn’t afford the strip clubs.” – Redditor effyocouch
The girls can be cliquey
This Redditor shared that they made some friends once they found their place among the cliques. They also wrote that you would have to flirt if you wanted to make good tips.
There is an appearance inspection before shifts
Can you imagine your manager checking to see if you had any flaws with your hair, makeup, or uniform before a shift? Well, this Redditor shared that they had to do just that.
Those with smaller chests get treated differently
“The one I worked at would hire flat chested women but made them wear the Hooters t-shirt a couple sizes too big and they were relegated to being a hostess.” – Redditor Emperor_Nihilist
Some are given money by customers
“They will be handed a credit card and told to go shopping. I know some that were offered money for nude modeling. One year my friend got a brand new MacBook with every accessory you could imagine.” – Redditor crunch816
Some customers proposition the workers with weird offers
With a restaurant that’s based around sexual appeal, there are bound to be weirdos. This user shared that one regular customer who had a pantyhose fetish would offer to pay the girls $35 for used pairs.
They don’t always get treated kindly by female customers
This Redditor shared that they got some nasty looks from wives and girlfriends. “Sometimes girls come in trying to be the ‘cool’ girlfriend, but end up feeling threatened and uncomfortable. Which is completely unwarranted,” this Redditor wrote .
They are encouraged to eat healthy
“Every shift, we would get a free meal and around 30% off any additional items. There were a couple of girls in particular that would order wings for every meal and one or two slices of cake. Because of these girls’ weight gain, they changed the food options that we could order for our free lunch. We were no longer able to get wings — instead it was just salads and wraps.” — graciewitluv
They only provide uniforms in small sizes
While the company doesn’t outright fire women for excess weight, this Redditor shared that Hooters only carries uniforms in sizes xxs, xs and s. This is a pretty clear tactic to keep their workers at a certain weight.
Some customers ask to buy freaky items off the menu
“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.” – Redditor ashley1252
Those wings make the girls fart a LOT
“For those of you who haven’t had Hooters wings, they can leave you feeling quite gassy. All of the girls would joke about how they would often crop dust (fart and walk away) while serving on the floor after chowing down on wings in the break room. Maybe that’s why the place never smelled that good!” — graciewitluv
“Hooters Court” exists
Since part of your employment contract states that you aren’t allowed to sue the company for sexual harassment, this user shared that Hooters Court exists.
“Basically arbitration where other Hooters employees served as a jury and rendered a verdict.”
The customers flirt aggressively
“Some can be rude, others can be charming, and the rest can be creepy. For instance, I remember I remember one of the girls at my location was given a room key to some sleazy hotel while another was brought a bouquet of roses.” – Redditor Satisfy_My_Boredom
Some ladies actually like working there
“Worked there for a year. Truly not a bad experience. Yes, there were some creeps, but overall, the environment was fun. You were encouraged to sit down and hang out with customers, it was an easy job, and as a result, I never worked in another restaurant because it would have been way more uptight.” — ” weeblewobble
A lot of men bring in their sons for a “bonding experience”
“One of the creepiest things about Hooters was how many men would bring their kids for a ‘family bonding experience,’ aka basically teaching their sons to sexualize women.” — zombiedolllizkah
