Hooters waitresses reveal what it’s REALLY like to work at the controversial restaurant – and why they love the bum-flashing uniforms
ORANGE hot pants, stunning co-workers and lots of chicken wings – life as a Hooters girl is certainly not your average waitressing job.
The American chain launched in Florida in 1983 and was such a hit with diners thanks to its eye-popping, busty barmaids that it spread like wildfire.
Now there are around 420 of the fast food restaurants around the world including one branch here in Nottingham, which opened 21 years ago.
Hooters operates under the mantra that “the most important thing is good food and cold beer served by beautiful HOOTERS girls”.
When plans for further branches in Cardiff and Bristol were announced, Hooters faced opposition from feminist campaigners, but what is it like for the figure-flaunting girls?
Nottingham waitress Morgan Jones, 20, is a biomedical science student who wants to get a PhD, said despite 70 per cent of customers being male, she has never been harassed or felt uncomfortable in the skimpy outfit.
Speaking to the , she said: “You do not get hassled and no-one has ever grabbed me or anything like that.
“We are not flirty with the customers and you have always worn tights. It's a family restaurant. The people who have a bad word to say are usually the ones who have never been in before."
Typically diners get food and jugs of beer brought over by girls in the iconic tight T-shirts, and service often includes cheer-leading style performances.
Only women can be hired for the role, according to company policy, but men are employed in the kitchens.
Often the “pull” of the restaurant will see 300 football fans descend on the eatery after a match to consume chicken wings and guzzle beer.
According to the , Hooters girls often work 12-hour shifts, and get to keep any tips they make on top of their minimal wage.
Many of the staff are students at one of the two Nottingham universities and use the job to supplement their studies.
Even comedian Katherine Ryan previously worked at the restaurant and helped the company move venue to the Hicking Building in 2006, where is remains today.
Fellow Brit worker Cheila Almedia, 23, who has been working as a Hooters girl for five years, agreed that she doesn’t find the work “sleazy” at all.
The Nottingham Trent grad even said she thought it had prepared her for a life in real estate and she feels “empowered”.
She said: “When I first tried it [the outfit] on I remember thinking I hope I don't look a bit, 'ooh', but I'm comfortable. I'm a woman, I can do what I want and choose to wear what I want."
Cheila insists that girls on nights out in Nottingham “wear less”, and shared her excitement that her job gave her the opportunity to fly across the world to Lake Tahoe in Nevada.
She represented the UK at the Hooters International Pageant, which saw her compete against 80 other Hooters workers.
She added: “We took part in women empowerment classes and had workshops, like how to write a CV, and life after Hooters I came back with a different outlook.”
Cheila said her earnings have also helped her save for a holiday home in Portugal, which she will purchase next year to rent out to tourists.
Manager Mark James, who has worked there for over two decades, said the appeal of the place is “nostalgia.”
He explained: “You want to create that wow factor, like reminding those who are now in their 30s of the first time visiting Disneyland.
“It's hot pants and a vest top. It's not the sexiest thing. It's just like a beach shack from the 1990s.”
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A Hooters sign previously went viral after a bar created a secret code to help women get out of bad dates.