Hooters - Definition and Overview

Hooters is the trade name of two restaurant chains, Hooters of America, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and Hooters, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida. Between company owned locations, and franchisees, there are now over 350 Hooters restaurants, in 43 US states, plus 13 other countries. The chain began in October 1983 with a restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, and is still privately held.

It targets male customers with a mostly female staff, and sports shown on big-screen TVs. Its menu includes burgers, other sandwiches, and seafood. It specializes in buffalo wings.

A Hooters Girl is a female employed by the Hooters restaurant chain. Hooters Girls are usually chosen for their breast size. They are typically clad in tight-fitting white shirts and very short track shorts, which are often orange in color.

The uniform includes the logo, which consists of the word "Hooters" with a cartoon owl positioned so that the pupils of the owl's eyes are framed by the two O's. Many see this as representing a woman's breasts.

Controversy

The chain is controversial on two counts.

1. The uniform is considered to be unabashed objectification of women. The general environment of the restaurant is seen by many as sexist and demeaning of women.
2. The restaurant hires only women as servers, and refers to them as "Hooters Girls." Several discrimination lawsuits have brought against the chain but have been settled out of court or dropped by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The restaurant's corporate web site "acknowledges that many consider 'Hooters' a slang term for a portion of the female anatomy." But it adds, "Hooters Girls have the same right to use their natural female sex appeal to earn a living as do super models Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell."

The chain sees itself this way: "Hooters characterizes itself as a neighborhood place, not a family restaurant. Seventy percent of all customers are male, most between the ages of 25-54. Hooters does not market itself to families."

Hooters Air

In 2003, Hooters launched an airline, Hooters Air, headquartered in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. "Hooters Girls" serve as stewardesses.

See also

• Raisins (South Park episode), a Hooters parody

External links

• About Hooters (http://www.hooters.com/company/about_hooters/) - the Atlanta-based chain's information page
• Hooters Air (http://www.hootersair.com/)
• Original Hooters (http://www.originalhooters.com) - the non-Atlanta-based founders sub-chain
• Transfer of "Hooters" brand from Clearwater to Atlanta (http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2001/03/19/daily46.html)