Dumb and Dumber

I'm back! Sorry for neglecting you all for so long. I'm still sick but if I'm not sleeping I'm just sitting in bed and that gives me time to do this!

All Hooters restaurants, at least to my knowledge, have regulars. Some are nice, some quiet, some sleazy and some rude. For the most part, we love our regulars. Dumb and Dumber, however, are somewhere in between sleazy and nice and this makes it difficult to decide how I feel about them.

They started coming in not too long after I started and often are there 2 or even 3 times each day. They know all of the girls by name and we all know them. They bring us treats like ice cream, candy, chips and lots of other stuff and we're very appreciative of that. We always say hi and go chat with them when they come in, even if they aren't in our section.

When they're sober, they're really friendly and not at all creepy. They can be a little too chatty at times, though. It's impossible to walk past their table without them stopping you and asking you millions of questions about your day and making small talk like it's their job. If I don't have very many tables, I don't mind sitting with them for a while but when I'm in the weeds and I've got drinks and food to run, the last thing I want to do is talk for 10 minutes about what I ate for lunch that day. It can be frustrating to say the least.

When they drink it's even worse. Asking what I had for lunch turns into asking what I wore to bed the night before and what my favorite position (in bed) is. Obviously, I don't really like answering those questions and I usually just laugh them off and pretend I have something to do. Most of the girls avoid them altogether when they start drinking.

Unfortunately, this won't be possible for them in a couple weeks. Because GM F invited Dumb and Dumber to our STAFF Christmas party. Yup, they're coming to the place with an open bar, dance floor, and all the Hooters Girls all in one place at one time. I have no doubt in my mind that they will be taking full advantage of the first of those. Which makes me fear for the second and third.

The girls at work are all pretty unimpressed with GM F since he didn't run it by anyone before he invited them. Some of the girls don't even want to come to the party anymore because of it.

I think that he probably should have asked us if we were okay with them coming before he went ahead and asked them. What do you think?

Sorry Sorry Sorry!

I've been neglecting my blog and I feel horrible about it but I've had a lot going on recently. It seems like all my profs decided that they should assign essays with crazy deadlines all at the same time so I've been doing lots of research and writing and reading. And last week I was in a car accident and have been in the hospital but I'm getting much better and I'm hoping to be back at work in another week or so. I promise to write more often once my life is a little less hectic!

Let's Play Dress Up

As many of you could have guessed, Monday Night Football is big at Hooters. It's the busiest night of the week and the only thing that brings in more people than that is the UFC fights. I'm not exactly sure what the reasoning behind it is but every Monday night, the girls that are working have to dress up. There's a list of themes in the back that tell you what you will be dressing up as for each game and there's a little booklet with ideas of what to wear for each week.

I've worked almost every Monday Night Football since I started (tonight I have the night off though!!!) and at first, dressing up was fun. Now it's really just turned into an expensive pain in the ass. I spend, on average $50.00 every week on a costume that I will probably never wear again. I do make the money back in tips that night plus a lot more but if I saved that $50.00 every week, it wouldn't take me long to have enough money for new tires on my car. Which I desperately need before the snow comes...

It also is a bit of a scramble to get a costume together since the schedule for the next week usually up until the Thursday before. I don't work Thursdays, and although I could call and ask what days I work, I don't find out my schedule until Friday night, when I'm working and unable to go shopping for a costume. Saturdays I like to sleep in a little bit and then go out with friends and not think about work and then Sunday I work until about 5PM at which point all the stores close for the night. So Monday, in the 3 hours I have between school and work, I have to rush around the city trying to find myself a costume. Not fun and pretty stressful.

Last week, we had to dress as cheerleaders. So on Monday afternoon I went to 4 costume stores, all of which had no cheerleader costumes left. I went to a couple sex stores but decided that I didn't want people to actually see my breasts while I served them their food and putting a shirt underneath that top just wouldn't look right. I went to a fifth costume shop and found a pink cheerleader costume that came with white pompoms. It was $120.00. At that point, I was getting pretty desperate so I tried it on. The thing was too damn big. So I went to the mall and pieced a costume together. I got a white skirt, a red sweater with a big letter H (perfect!) on the front and some pompoms from the dollar store.

I got to work and changed into my costume. The other girls usually dress a little bit more revealing than me but not too much. This week, they outdid themselves, though. There were miniscule skirts with no shorts underneath, bare midriffs and v-necks cut so deep that nip-slips were inevitable. I still felt good about what I was wearing because I wouldn't constantly be worrying about what was hanging out of where. I walked over to the table where we were doing jump start and GM F told us to give him a second. He came back with a pair of scissors and handed them to Tink.

"Go fix HGWB."

Seriously? My skirt was kind of short and the sweater was a v-neck. It wasn't nearly as extreme as the other girls but it's not like I looked like I was wearing a burka or anything. Me and Tink went to the back and laughed about how ridiculous our job is. We cut an inch or two from my skirt and cut the neck of my sweater to make it a deeper V.

GM F was pleased with the results. I was glad I wore spandex shorts under my skirt.

Things like this happen a lot at Hooters. Most weeks, there's a girl who isn't showing enough skin and just a few weeks ago we were told that on the days when our city's hockey team is playing we were no longer allowed to wear jerseys or t-shirts for the team since, according to GM F, "nobody wants to go to Hooters and see a girl in a plain t-shirt serving their food."

I just have to laugh about it.

My Essay...

I did a research paper a little while ago for my English class and it was about Hooters and the Hooters Girls. I got an A on it so I thought I would share it with you guys... Let me know what you think of it!

The word “hooters” paints a colourful picture for a lot of people. The picture can be very different, depending who you ask. If you look up the definition on Word, for example, you will see that it is simply an “offensive term”. For many men, when there is a mention of Hooters Restaurant, visions of greasy wings, pitchers of beer and girls running around in microscopic, orange shorts are often what come to mind. Feminists see their efforts at empowering women vanish. They see a venue where women are exploited and men can act like pigs. For the employees of Hooters, the only thought that occurs to them is that prettier girls mean more money. You may have noticed that there is a recurring pattern between these different perspectives. The Hooters Girl is a large, if not determining, factor of Hooters’ success.

The vast majority of Hooters guests are straight men and the reasons for this are fairly obvious. The biggest reason is the Hooters Girls. What man wouldn’t want to be served his favourite food and pitcher upon pitcher of beer by a scantily clad waitress? According to one of my closest friends, going to Hooters is “like going to dinner and a show, only the show flirts with you and doesn’t sing irritating songs” (Lacroix). One of the unique things about Hooters that is illustrated in his comment is that the Hooters Girls are encouraged to sit with their tables and make friends. The friendlier they are, the more money they are likely to make. If they spend time with their tables, add a personal touch to the service they give and even flirt, it will be noticed and appreciated. I was told that one girl had a man order crab legs and since the girl had nobody else sitting in her section, she sat with him and cracked each crab leg for him. This earned her a $200.00 tip (Kamen). Exceptional service like this is what Hooters Girls are told to strive for.

Upon hiring, Hooters Girls get a handbook in which they sign multiple documents stating that they are aware of the fact that “the Hooters concept is based upon female sex appeal and that the work environment is one in which joking and innuendo based on female sex appeal is commonplace” (34). Customers ask for phone numbers and offer a plethora of cheesy pick-up lines that they believe to be irresistibly charming. The Hooters Girls become impervious to all of these things and simply laugh it off as a joke while making a mental note to not pay too much attention to that customer in the future. Men seem to think that when one of the Hooters Girls is friendly to them, it must mean that they’re special. It couldn’t possibly be that, during their orientation, they are told it is their job to look like they’re enjoying themselves and to joke around, play games and entertain their tables (Neri). The management at Hooters makes it clear during interviews and orientation that you must be comfortable with your job and that you are more than welcome to leave at any time, should you have an issue with any of the job requirements.

Not everyone sees the way Hooters Girls are treated as being fair. Feminists do not agree with the Hooters concept and see the hiring of Hooters Girls to be exploitative and demeaning. Feminists argue that Hooters uses female sex appeal for the benefit of men. Girls are put into revealing uniforms and are made to ask questions with sexual undertones such as asking if a customer would like their wings breaded or “naked”, which is the Hooters term for non-breaded. Though this is true, Hooters management teams check in to make sure that the girls are not unhappy with their jobs and that they don’t feel uncomfortable performing their duties as a Hooters Girl. Another issue that feminists have with Hooters is their obvious rejection of anyone who is not conventionally attractive. The Hooters Girl Image Magazine states that the desired appearance of a Hooters Girl is one of an “All-American cheerleader, surfer girl and girl next door” (15). It is said in Battleground: Women, Gender, and Sexuality that feminists believe that “beauty is not a mechanism of nature so much as a political and economic tool to maintain a gender hierarchy of male superiority and female subjugation” (29). Based on that, the problem that feminists have with Hooters and the Hooters Girls is evident. The Hooters Girl, from the outside, seems to represent everything feminists are fighting to stop from happening. They are conventionally attractive, hired to serve mainly men and must wear an outfit that, in most work environments, would be deemed as being inappropriate. While I understand where the arguments of the feminist groups are coming from, I noticed that they are overlooking the fact that the Hooters Girls do their jobs because they want to. Nothing bad would happen to them if they were to decide to leave Hooters. In fact, most of the girls who work at Hooters stay there for a long time, mainly because of the money.

Hooters Girls know that they are using their sex appeal to attract a certain type of clientele. They know that the more they use their sex appeal, the more money they will make and they can use this to take advantage of their customers. A blogger, and Hooters Girl, who goes by the name of KH, believes this, saying:

At the end of the day,…, when I walk out the door with $150 tucked away in my wallet, I can laugh. Those men, with their sexist, classist worldviews have just paid my car payment for the month, and I only had to deal with them for a few hours. Who's being exploited here? (par. 16)

The women who work as Hooters Girls use their sex appeal to their advantage and benefit from the power that they have over men. As long as they feel comfortable with what they’re doing, who is to say it’s wrong?

The goal of any business is to make a profit and it is widely known that sex sells. Hooters doesn’t try to hide the fact that it is using sex to target a certain type of customer. The blogger, KH, that I had previously mentioned describes in the same post how Hooters Girls allow for the chain to charge prices that are unheard of at other restaurants since customers are receiving a unique experience. Where else can you go for wings, beer and pronounced cleavage (par. 16)? Men will pay an arm and a leg just to get some attention from one of the Hooters Girls and if an hour and a half of small talk brings an $80.00 tab and a $35.00 tip, what part of Hooters’ theory about Hooters Girls bringing in more money is wrong?

The employees have the same perspective as KH: if I’m going to make more money serving food in orange hot pants than I would in black dress pants, why shouldn’t I? Hooters Girls make more in tips than a server at another restaurant might make in the same amount of time, with the same number of tables. The average tip at Hooters is about 25% while in other restaurants 15% to 20% is more along the lines of what they see. Hooters Girls also have less side work to do. They don’t have to clean the bathrooms, sweep or mop, or prepare desserts, all of which are required of waitresses at most other restaurants. (KH, par. 1) Hooters Girls do less of the work for more money and, to me, that sounds like a good deal. Obviously, there are going to be people that judge Hooters Girls simply because of their job. Many of the assumptions that people make about Hooters Girls are that they are promiscuous, unintelligent and shallow. Though some Hooters Girls may be one, or two, or even all three of these things, for the most part Hooters Girls are university or college students who may or may not have a boyfriend and who have wider interests than just getting their hair and nails done. Much like any other restaurant staff, Hooters Girls can’t be put in one category. They are not all the same kind of person. Hooters Girls, like the Hooters franchise, are subject to the uneducated assumptions that people make about them.

Though it has faced much criticism and many attempted lawsuits because of the presence of Hooters Girls, Hooters remains a thriving restaurant chain. Hooters has a very competitive edge that has been working for them for over 20 years now and I can’t see them getting rid of this brilliant idea any time soon. Whether you love them or hate them, the Hooters Girls are here to stay.

Tilted Kilt Girl

I was checking out The Hooters Girl's latest post and it was about a new blogger who goes by "S". She is also a server and works in a place called Tilted Kilt. It's really the Scottish version of Hooters. They've got tartan and white knee highs instead of tacky orange and scrunch socks but the concept is basically the same.

S has started blogging about her job at Tilted Kilt. Although she only has 2 posts up at the moment, I'm sure her stories about what happens at "TK" will be great!

Take a look at Tilted Kilt Girl!

Dating Customers

It was a typical Friday night: people coming in to pre-drink and get some food in their systems before the real fun starts. I had a pretty big section and made a good chunk of money since the more people drink, the more generous they tend to be when tipping.

By around 11, most people had left but I still had a few tables. One of them was a couple of guys that come in at least once a week and order the same thing (20 wings, all drums, naked, hot and 2 bottles of Bud Light) every time. Most of the time, they aren't one of those tables that you can sit and have a conversation, or play games with so I pretty much just stick to the basics when it comes to serving them. They stay for an hour or 2, leave a good tip and leave... Most of the time.

2 Fridays ago, the same 2 guys came in and got their wings and beer. A half hour after they sat down, 2 more guys came in and sat with them. I went to see what they wanted to drink and they got a couple pitchers of beer. One of them was pretty cute, but I didn't really take that much notice. Soon, I only had their table left so I went to sit with them and talk. They were all from out of town and are here for work for another couple of months. The cute one (Q) was really funny and I was having a lot of fun talking to that table. Finally, it was time for us to close.

As they were getting up to leave, Q asked my if it would be okay for him to give me his number. I said yes for a few reasons: First, I felt rude saying no since it's not like if I didn't want to talk to him I had the option of not calling him. Second, unlike most of the guys who come in looking for a date, he didn't try any nauseating pick-up lines and he didn't pester me for my phone number until I was forced to cave and give him a fake phone number like I would normally do. And third, he was really cute and really funny!

I got his number and debated whether or not to call him for a few days before I finally did it. We've gone out a couple of times since then for dinner and to see movies and go to tourist-y places that he hasn't been to before. I really enjoy being around him and we have a lot of fun together. He's a really positive person which is something that I really like. There's only a couple problems with it, though. He's 7 years older than me and I met him at work.

What do you think about the age difference and for all the Hooters Girls or really any servers out there, would you ever go on a date with one of your customers?

Bitchy Bitch Bitch.

Saturday night. Trying to think if I should go out or not since I'm broke. Get a call from GM F asking me to go to work since one girl couldn't find a babysitter. Hmmm... Money? or Drinks? Being a responsible adult, I chose the money.

So I get ready and head out the door. When I get to work, I find out that it's a bar shift. Oh perfect. You might remember that whoever is on bar NEVER makes good money. But I was already there so I couldn't back out.

The restaurant was really busy that night with 2 groups of about 30 people each and the rest of the tables filled up as well. The bar, on the other hand, had 1 person all night. Quite disappointing. I was glad that the restaurant was so busy and that everyone in it seemed to be drinking since that kept me from being unbearably bored.

Mother Goose was on the floor that night along with the girl that trained me, KJ, and another girl who started around the same time as me. I think it is appropriate if I call her The Bitch.

Anyways, I was kept busy during my shift pouring pitchers of beer, mixing drinks, making shooters and all that fun stuff. One table was going through Jager Bombs like crazy and were using up all the Red Bull so I had to run and grab some more out of storage. I was gone for approximately 45 seconds and I made sure nobody was waiting for drinks to be made before I ran to get some. When I returned, There was 1 drink chit up and The Bitch was standing at the bar looking very unimpressed. I looked at the chit and went to put the Red Bull on the bar so that I could free my hands to get her 2 bottles of Budweiser. Which, by the way, takes about 3 seconds to do. When I walked away from the chit, she cleared her throat really loudly, and I turned around to look at her.

The Bitch: Um, I've been waiting for, like, EVER for those drinks. Are you gonna get them or what?

Me: I was gone for a minute to get some Red Bull. I'm grabbing them right now.

The Bitch: Yeah, whatever. This is ridiculous.

I decided it wasn't worth it to start arguing with her over something so trivial. I grabbed her the beer and went to put the Red Bull away.

All the other girls were really appreciative of me coming in since they would have been in way over their heads had they not had a bar tender. I had everyone's drinks ready for them really quickly and I kept things tidy so that it would be easy for since me to close the bar when I was done. At one point, about 5 chits all came up at the same time. I laid them all down in the order they came up and started getting all the bottle first, since they take the least amount of time. Then, I started on the pints and pitchers. The girls made a few of the mixed drinks themselves since they can reach both guns from the other side of the bar and when I was done, I started making them myself.

The Bitch and Mother Goose were standing a little off to the side and I heard The Bitch complaining about how I was taking so long to get her drinks. Mother Goose just ignored her.

After I finished making all the drinks, The Bitch moved all the dirty glasses from where they dirty glasses go on to where we're supposed to put the drinks that are for the girls on the floor.

Me: What are you doing? Those don't go there and they're going to be in my way.

The Bitch: Well you need to put them through the dish washer. Now.

Me: I'll do them when I get a second. Put them back where they go or I won't have room to put your drinks up, or anyone else's.

The Bitch: Well if you wash them they'll be out of the way.

I just walked away. I'm not really a confrontational person but this girl was really pushing it. I didn't want to flip out at her since I don't think that would be okay to do at work. Mother Goose came around the back of the bar and told me that she saw what happened and that if I wanted her to she would talk to Doughnut about it. I told her I didn't really want to make a big deal about it and I would talk to him myself, but thanks.

I don't even understand what this girl's problem is. I've never done anything to her, or even worked with her at all. Everyone else is so nice and even if I was slow, they would have offered to come help me out instead of bitching about how I'm putting them in the weeds. Maybe she was just having a rough day but even so, I don't think it was fair for her to take it out on me.

Shaking Hands and Kissing Babies

My first floor shift alone was intimidating at first but once I realized that there's only one of me and that I can only do the best I can do, I relaxed and everything seemed to go fairly smoothly. I was working with just one other girl. And now that I think about it she's quite a bit older than the other girls... So how about I call her Mother Goose? Anywhoooo... Mother Goose and I were quite discouraged by the lack of people coming in that day. A couple hours in to our shift, we had only had 2 tables each. GM F told Mother Goose that if she wanted to leave, she was welcome to do so since it looked like it would be pretty dead all day. So, naturally, Mother Goose changed and headed out the door.

About 5 minutes after she left, a birthday party with about 15 people came in. Right behind them was another 6 tables. All for me. I panicked for a bit but GM F went to take drink orders from a couple of the tables while I got them from others. The birthday party was really demanding. The kid was turning 13 and had a couple friends but mostly it was just his family with him. There were a few smaller children who were very whiny and seemed to not comprehend the idea of their food staying on their plates and not being smeared across the table. And for all of you who don't know, cleaning wing sauce off tables after it's been sitting there for a couple hours is a challenge, to say the least. Stupid fucking kids.

Obviously, this kids mom wanted me to take about a million pictures with her son. And since I only had the entire restaurant to myself, I had plenty of time to sit around and wait for her to think of creative poses for us. I think my favorite was when she had me pick her son up. And this kid was pretty hefty, okay? He was no string bean. I'm 5'1" and 110lbs. Picking up chunky boys who have food and shit all over their NASCAR t-shirt isn't my idea of a good time. I tried to tell her that I had pulled some muscles in my back (total bullshit) so I shouldn't be picking anything up, never mind a human being. She wasn't buying it. So I ended up grunting and lifting and re-adjusting so that I could get this fat ass 13 year old cradled in my arms like a baby. His mom thought it was the most hysterically funny thing she'd ever seen in her life. She took way too many pictures of us like this and I'm pretty sure my face was probably purple and I was about to pass out. Bitch.

I tried to avoid going to their table but that was nearly impossible since they seemed to be guzzling their Pepsi and Rootbeer at breakneck speed. Everyone needed refills every 5 seconds. I was happy when they asked for their check. I printed it off and slapped it down on their table and right as I turned around to go check on my other, rather neglected tables, The Mom asked me if I could do one more thing for them. I sure could!

She asked me to pick up her 3 year old and kiss him on the cheek while she took a picture. Fuck. My. Life.

I picked him up and was promptly smacked in the face with a Hot Wheels car covered in something gooey. I didn't want to know. I looked at this boys' face and saw that he had honey garlic wing sauce everywhere. The Mom commented on how messy he was and chuckled. I looked at her, expecting her to offer to clean his crusty, slimy face. Nothing. She lifted the camera, ready for me to give her lovely little boy a smooch. I lifted him up higher and puckered up, keeping my lips an inch or so away from his face. But of course, that wouldn't do. She insisted I give him a real kiss on the cheek. Jesus. At that point, I just wanted to get it over with so I did it, she took the picture and I put the kid back on the floor.

All that and do you know what she gave me? On a $250 bill, I got $10. Fucking bitch.

And you get... $5.56.

My fourth training shift was more of the same and nothing too eventful happened. I was told that I didn't need to do the usual 5th training shift so I would be all alone the next time I went in. I checked the schedule so see when my next shift was. Thursday 4:45BAR. I was nervous about being on bar alone since I had only had 1 training shift on there but I figured I could handle it. 

On Thursday I went in and R3 was the manager that night. He's probably the least laid-back of all the managers but he's still really cool and fun. I knew if I needed help or got too busy he would be more that willing to help me out.

Thursday was not busy. 2 people sat at the bar during my ENTIRE shift. And each of their bills were only about $15. For the most part, I got more familiar with where everything was and I cleaned. The kitchen guys taught me how to make the Steak Sandwich since I looked so bored. I ordered some food and ate in the back and kept an eye on the bar so that if I had to get a drink for one of the girls or if someone decided to sit down at the bar I would know. I'm a very slow eater. It took me about an hour to eat my fried pickles and celery with ranch. No drink orders came up and nobody sat at the bar during that time.

When I did have to pour beer, I did much better that I had done during my training. There was less foam and less spilling, something that I am very proud of. Tink helped me to remember everything I had to do to close the bar when I was done. I cashed out and took my money to the office in the back for R3 to count.

I was short a couple dollars and realized that it was because I forgot to put the money for my food in the till. As I pulled out my tips from that night, R3 stared. 

R3: Jesus. You didn't make anything!

Me: Well there was like 2 people that sat down at the bar all night... I couldn't really do much about it.

R3: Oh really? Well don't worry you'll make so much more on the floor.

He counted out the money I owed and put it in the till.

R3: So... you get $5.56 tonight!

He laughed and told me that girls hate working on the bar because nobody ever makes very much money doing it. My next shift was Saturday during the day and I would be on the floor. Makin' money!

My Interview with the Mayor!

Recently, the Mayor of Wingville asked me to do an interview for his blog. Obviously, I had to say yes! Check it out here!

Jager Bombs!

My third training shift was a little while ago but I've been really busy with papers and reading and all the other school-ish type things that need to be done but I'm neglecting my schoolwork for a little bit so I can tell you how it went!

After having my bar shift with Tink, I was back on the floor with KJ for my third night of training. The night started off pretty slow, with only a couple small groups coming in and a few lone rangers sitting at the bar. At about 6:30, I had a table with 2 middle-aged guys who were very friendly (not in a creepy way!) and lots of fun to serve. They told me they would only be sticking around for an hour or so and just have a couple drinks since they were going to meet their baseball team at a bar later on.

By 9:00, they were still sitting at the same table and about 15 of their teammates had decided that Hooters was the place to be and came to join them. KJ came over to take half of the tables drink orders while I got the other half theirs. There was an empty stool at one end of the table that had a wallet sitting on top of it and KJ asked what that guy would be drinking. Just as she said it, he came up behind her and let her know he wanted a bottle of Corona. As he was saying this, KJ looked at was trying to see what was written on his shirt, prompting the guy to say "Um, excuse me. My eyes are up here (indicating his eyes), not down there (and now his chest)." The whole table burst into laughter and KJ said "Yeah, I should know better by now!"

All of the guys were really funny and I could tell they were enjoying themselves. Since we didn't have many other tables, we were able to hang out with them and talk and have a good time. They did countless rounds of Jager Bombs and tequila shots and used beer as their chaser. If they hadn't had a bus waiting outside for them, we would have had to cut them off pretty quickly. We made sure they ordered some food to absorb some of the alcohol and KJ had a huge grin when she saw how much their bill came to (over $1200). 

After they had all paid, I was slightly put out by the fact that I had done just as much work as KJ but didn't get any of the tips. I completely understand why I don't get to keep any of the them, but it still sucks! Obviously KJ is an awesome trainer and without her I wouldn't have learned as much as I did as fast as I did so she deserves the tips! And when she has to tip out to the kitchen and the bar at the end of the night, she shouldn't have to pay them out of her own pocket.

The guys got a few free shirts that all the girls signed and they headed out the door. I knew they would have a rough time playing baseball in the morning.

After that shift, I felt completely confident about working on the floor. I'm excited to start making my own money and having my own tables. I think it'll be a lot of fun and that I will be good at it.

I also did my liquor test and my ticket times test that night and passed with flying colors!!! I got 100% on both!

Hooters Guys?

What would happen if there was a restaurant like Hooters but instead of cute girls in lycra, there was sexy boys in... well, not in shirts?

Well fuck you too, Foam!!!

My second training shift was on bar. Something I was not expecting AT ALL! But I think it went reasonably well... Sort of.

I got to work early enough to do my makeup and get my uniform on. I headed out to sit at the staff table to do jump start (where the girls coming in for the night shift find out all the specials, promos, if we're out of anything and all that jazz...). I expected to be with KJ again on the floor but Doughnut (one of the other managers) told me I would be on bar with Tink. Oh goodness. I've never worked behind a bar and I was sure that pouring beer would be quite an adventure for me.

First, Tink took me behind the bar and showed me what to check for before we can let the day girl leave. Since there weren't very many tables when we came in, she showed me where all the beer, liquor, lemons, limes and oranges were. We made sure that everything was stocked and waited for our first drink order to come in. She also told me the golden rule of working on bar: "No chit, no shit!". Basically, if any of the girls ask for a drink to be made, they need to ring it in first. If they're in the middle of ringing it in, you can get it for them but you need to make sure that they do.

For the most part, we just had to pour beer but there were a few drinks that had to be made. I pretty much sucked at pouring beer. I guess it takes practice but I had a really hard time trying to tilt the glass enough, or not too much. Tink told me not to worry since everyone needs practice and she still has difficulty with it sometimes. By the end of the night I was a little better at it, only having a few glasses overflowing with foamy, beery, yuckiness. 

Halfway through the night, I was pouring a glass of Stella when it decided to spray foam all over my face, hair and shirt. Fanfuckingtastic. I turn around and Tink is standing there laughing at me. She told me that if any of the beer we have on tap runs out, that's its way of telling you. Lovely. She told on of the boys in the kitchen and they got more. I went to the back for a few minutes to get the beer off my face and out of my hair and to fix my makeup.

Other than that, nothing too embarrassing happened. It wasn't very busy so I studied the menu and got Tink to quiz me on it. I think I can handle myself behind the bar now. My first shift alone is going to be a bar shift so I'll find out just how much I know on Thursday!

I've got the beef...

Last night was my first training shift at Hooters and even though I've been sick since Saturday I had so much fun! It was actually the most fun I've ever had while working.

When I got there I noticed that most of the girls weren't wearing their uniforms but I figured that most of them just hadn't changed yet. I was right but when they did change, it wasn't into the orange shorts and Hooters tank top that I was wearing. Unbeknownst to me, each Monday night they have a different theme and last night was "Racer Girl". As in car racing. All the girls were decked out in black and white checked clothing and had flags. One girl even had a race track painted on to a tank top with Hot Wheels cars sewn on! I was already a bit intimidated since all the girls are GORGEOUS!!! so it didn't help that I was the only one actually wearing the uniform.

Fortunately, all the girls assured me that I looked "super cute" and they were amazed that I had somehow evaded the dreaded muffin top that the shorts cause. I'm not even sure how that happened... I guess I got lucky. But all the compliments gave me a much needed confidence boost and by the time I left the change room I didn't feel so ridiculous.

My trainer, KJ, was a tall, thin girl with big, curly, brown hair. She was really friendly and introduced me to all the other girls we were working with that night as well as the guys in the kitchen. 

The football game brought in lots of people and by about 6 o'clock there was hardly any tables left. KJ was running around trying to get everyones' drink orders, show me where everything is and tell me how things work all at the same time. I guess she's used to all the craziness because she seemed totally relaxed the whole time. 

I've never been a waitress before so everything was completely new to me. At first it seemed really confusing but as the night went on, I learned how to put orders into the Squirrel, how to send them to the kitchen and tons of other things I'm trying not to forget between now and my next shift. I think the only thing that I had trouble with was sending the orders to the kitchen. Every time you do, you have to yell "Order in, please!" to the guys in the kitchen and because I never yell and my voice just doesn't carry, this was a bit challenging. With some encouragement from KJ and the other girls, though, I got used to it. 

At half-time, everyone at the restaurant has the opportunity to play a game to win a prize. Last night people got to do the football toss for the chance to win a Dolphins jersey. I got to demonstrate how to play (all you do is throw a football and try to get it through the hole in a tire) and I got it in the tire! All the girls, including me, lined up along the side to watch everyone have their turn. While we were watching, some older man standing behind us tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and smiled and said "Hey! Why aren't you lined up to play?" His response? "My boxers say I've got the beef if you've got the buns. And it looks like you have the buns!"

Um... What the fuck?

The girl beside me had obviously heard what he said and she grabbed my hand and twirled me around to her other side. She told me not to worry about it and she would have a chat with him. Apparently he's a regular and would never say anything like that to one of the girls who's been working there for a while. I know I'm going to have to get used to comments similar to that and I'm sure I will I just wasn't expecting it at all! 

Other than that, the night went really well. I didn't spill anything or drop anything which is always a concern since I'm extremely clumsy. All the girls told me I did great and that they were sure I would be an awesome waitress. I hope they're right! 

I had such a good time and I can't wait until my next shift on Thursday. KJ is going to be training me again and I get my black uniform on Thursday which I'm so excited about!

Ooooohhh boy.

As I mentioned before, I wasn't exactly sure how my parents would react when I told them I got hired as a Hooters Girl and so this made the whole actually telling them part slightly challenging. But since I still live with them it was inevitable that they would find out and that I should probably tell them before they saw my orange hot pant clad ass scurrying across the hallway to the bathroom to fix my makeup.

Now that I'm thinking about it, my approach probably wasn't the most tactful or gentle way to let them know. But at least I did it, right? 

After I stared at myself in my mirror for about 45 minutes the first time I tried on my uniform I heard my parents come in the front door. My first thought was to rip everything off and put sweatpants and a t-shirt on before they had a chance to see me. First of all I think its impossible to take that uniform off in less that 5 minutes seeing as the shirt doesn't like to go up and over my boobs without putting up a fight. And Second of all neither my mom or my step dad have x-ray vision. They can't see through my walls or my door so how would they possibly see me unless I actually went out of my room? Realizing this, I thought that maybe I should step out of my room. In my uniform. In front of my parents. Somehow I came to the conclusion that this was the perfect way to tell them about my new job. It was not.

I opened my door and peeked around it to see if they were in the hallway. They weren't. So I tried to be as quiet as possible going down the stairs to find them. (Again, completely ridiculous because I'm pretty sure nobody wants to be the victim of a sneak-attack from a girl wearing orange lycra) Eventually I could hear them in the front room. The one with the giant window looking on to the street and where the curtains are rarely actually being put to use. I tiptoed up and stuck my head around the corner, keeping my body completely out of my parents line of vision. My mom looked at me and my step dad (RM) turned around to see what she was looking at. 

Mom: Are we playing hide and seek? What the hell are you doing?

Me: Hahaha oh you're funny. I just wanted to see who was home.

Mom: Okay...

Me: I have to tell you something... or show you. Both I guess.

Mom: Jesus did you get a tattoo? You know I told you I would kill you. And I will.

Me: No! No tattoo.

Mom: Well good it can't be bad then what are you still hiding for?

I came out from around the corner. My mom and RM looked at me for about a millisecond and both started laughing. Not the reaction I was expecting.

Mom: For a second I thought maybe you worked there or something! HA! Wouldn't that be hilarious!

RM: Halloween is like a month and a half away... You and your friends are always trying to get stuff together at the last second. Looks like you're prepared.

Mom: It looks exactly like the actual uniform. Where did you find them?

I wasn't sure how to explain that I did work there and this is not my Halloween costume and this is the actual uniform. I stayed silent for a couple seconds thinking about how to go about doing this. I looked at the ground and looked back up at them. My mom's face slowly registered that I might not be in my Halloween costume and turned from amusement to shock to complete and utter disapproval. I couldn't look her in the eyes. My step dad looked extremely embarrassed and wouldn't look me in the eye. So we were all avoiding looking directly at each other which made for a very awkward moment.

Me: Um... I actually do work there now? I got hired a couple days ago and...

Mom: I know I told you to get a job but I didn't mean THIS.

RM: Shit. What if the boys ask me where my daughter works?

Mom: ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME??? Did you really just say that? That's what you're worried about?

RM: (realizing his mistake) Well I mean.. I just don't want them going there and you know...

Mom: So wait.. you go to Hooters with the guys? That's your restaurant of choice?

RM: Well they have really good wings and it's a good place to go watch the games and that.

I was happy since I seemed to be out of the line of fire. My mom (as you can probably tell) is one of those people who has never set foot in Hooters and makes crazy assumptions about the girls who work there and the men who are customers there. After she was done with RM she turned back to me and said her (quite lengthy) piece about what she thought of me working there. I told her that, to be honest, I didn't really care and maybe she should come visit me while I'm working some time and then make her judgments. I don't think she expected me to talk back to her so that shut her up. 

I didn't think it was fair of her to make generalizations about a bunch of people she's never met or talked to or anything. Maybe Hooters does have girls who aren't the most intelligent, or who aren't the most conservative. But how is that different from any other restaurant? I'm going to college like a lot of other girls who work there and I'm not one to open my legs for any guy who looks my way which I'm absolutely sure is the case for almost, if not all the girls I'll be working with. And sure, some of the guys who come in might just be there to ogle pretty girls but what restaurant doesn't get those kinds of customers? I know that people might pass judgement on me now that I work there but to be honest those people are completely inconsequential because they have no idea who I am. 

Sorry for ranting but I've been reading blogs and articles and all these things about Hooters and I find that a lot of them are biased and ill informed.

Since I first told my mom, she's been asking me questions about it and I showed her the handbook as well as the Hooters Girl Image Magazine. I think she's coming around to the idea and once I start and can tell her about what it's like working there from my point of view she'll be more comfortable with it. I also told her about the strict rules they have about harassment which was her biggest concern. Hopefully she'll get used to it so she can come in and visit me one day!

Oh and also I'm not sure if this was just me (and if any of you other Hooters Girls out there noticed this, tell me what happened!) but I told some of my girlfriends about my new job and a couple days after I swear every guy I've ever known (whether I still talk to them or not) either texted me, messaged me on Facebook or e-mailed me with something to say about it. Even this guy who I haven't talked to since the fourth grade tracked me down on Facebook! I thought it was funny that they all thought it was so cool. I'm still the same girl! It's just a job guys! Jeez... Men! Haha

Paperwork and Air Way Restriction

I know I said I would probably post about telling my parents that I'm now a Hooters Girl but I chickened out yesterday so there was nothing to tell. I did, however, let them in on it today in a rather interesting way. But more about that later.

I had school this morning and I was going to do some reading after my last class before I drove over to Hooters for my orientation. Turns out there was some event going on out by the pond at school that involved bouncy castles, free cotton candy and those awesome sumo wrestling games where you dress up in a giant fat suit and jump on other fat suit wearing students and profs. Needless to say, no reading got done. The festivities also made me lose track of time and I hoped there wouldn't be too much traffic.

I got to Hooters 5 minutes before my orientation was supposed to start and saw GM F near the back sitting at a table with a bunch of papers and another girl. He waved me over and introduced me to the girl sitting with him. She was tall and blonde with a piercing on each side of her bottom lip which I thought weren't allowed at Hooters. I have absolutely no recollection of what her name is but she kind of reminded me of Avril Lavigne for some reason so let's call her Avril. She was super friendly and talkative so all the paperwork we had to fill out wasn't quite as boring as it usually is. 

I am now contractually obliged to have my hair and makeup done at all times during my shift and to "appear to be having fun" during my shifts. I'm not allowed to speak ill of my coworkers or managers and although I hope they're all great to work with and really nice people I have a feeling I might have some things to say about some of the people I'll be working with. You can't put a bunch of girls in pantyhose and orange hot pants and expect everyone to be pleasant to each other all the time. It just won't happen. 

After all the paperwork was done, we got a tour of the back and GM F showed us where we would find the alcohol, where the schedule was posted and where his office was. He introduced us to all the girls and everyone seemed happy and bubbly and nice. It made me excited to start (which will happen Monday by the way). We went over the sexual harassment policy and GM F made it very clear that if anyone makes us uncomfortable, whether it be a customer, cook, manager or even another Hooters Girl, that we should let him know so he can make sure the situation is resolved. I feel completely confident that him and R3 will be there for me 100% if I ever need anything and that's a great feeling to have.

Orientation also brought with it the Hooters Girl UNIFORM!!! Yup they busted out the shorts, tank tops, pantyhose and, of course, the slouch socks! Unfortunately, we didn't get to try it all on there and GM F guessed what sizes we would need. I couldn't wait to get home and try it all on! Both my shorts and my shirt were an XXS. This didn't worry me too much because I know that Hooters sizes are a (more than) a little skewed. Once I got home I ran to my bedroom and took my uniform out of my bag so I could try it on. The pantyhose were the most ridiculously tricky things to get on. If you have ever tried to put a wetsuit on that was still damp it was a lot like that. I got the shorts on and pulled the shirt over my head. I could tell that I was going to have a hard time pulling it over my boobs (which aren't even that big!) but with a little effort and lots of holding my breath I got it pulled down. The effect that the shirt had on my boobs was not flattering. They were squished in so much that from the side it looked like I was almost completely flat except for over the neck line of the shirt and it made it impossible for me to breathe normally. Also when I looked in the mirror I noticed that the shorts were quite loose. So it looks like I'm going to have to get a size bigger for the top and a size smaller for the bottom. At least it's not the other way around right? I mean I'm working for Hooters...

I'm gonna save my story about telling my parents for the later this week since I won't have any other stories until my first shift on Monday. Which, by the way, is football night so I am a little nervous about it since I'm working at night. Oh well. It'll be fun to see what it's like on a busy night!

Interview #2

So today was my second interview at Hooters. I don't think I've ever worked anywhere that took 2 interviews to get in the door but I was pretty eager to get this job so I dressed to impress a second time, jumped in my car and headed down there. This time I wore a black pencil skirt (short, but not obnoxiously so) with a v-neck underneath and a pair of heels.

I was about 10 minutes early this time and I was told that GM F was just finishing up a couple things before he would be able to come talk to me but he wouldn't be long. It was pretty busy since it's Monday (FOOTBALL WOOOO!) so when I was still waiting 20 minutes later I wasn't too concerned. I like watching football anyways. But the time kept ticking by and I was starting to think that maybe he forgot about me. I struck up a conversation with the girl working behind the bar and she said she would remind him since he tends to get distracted especially when it's busy. She seemed really nice so I was a little bit relieved to know that I wouldn't be shunned from all the girls if I were to get hired.

All of a sudden I heard someone yell my name from across the restaurant. I looked over and saw GM F waving at me and holding up 2 fingers (give him 2 minutes!). I smiled and shouted "Don't worry about it" back at him. Sure enough a couple minutes later he was standing beside me apologizing for making me wait and offering me something to drink. I assured him it was no problem and got some water. A couple shots of tequila probably would have relaxed me but I think that's frowned upon when you're at an interview.

The second interview was much like the first: relaxed, fun and not nearly as scary as I had imagined. We talked about my availability, the uniform and the Hooters "look", why I thought I would be good at being a Hooters Girl and if I knew anything about football, hockey or UFC fighting (yes, no and sort of). He showed me the change room, complete with straightener, curling iron, blow dryer, hair spray, lotion and anything else a girl might need to maintain her appearance during her shift. After my little tour we sat back down and he told me that he thought I would be a great addition to their family (and I totally got the sense of all the staff being like a family there) and I could go for my orientation on Wednesday. Yup, that's right! I GOT THE JOB!!!

I think I thanked him about a million times. I've honestly never been so excited about getting a job and I think my enthusiasm about it will help me if I have a rough time with any of the training or with any of the girls. I'm determined to succeed at this job. Not that I've failed at other jobs. I've done the best I can everywhere I've worked... except maybe when I worked in a deli but really? Slicing meat isn't something to get excited about.

But my orientation is in 2 days so I'll definitely be making a post about that! And I might have one tomorrow when I break the news to my parents... We'll see how that goes.

The Application and Interview #1

I've never blogged before and I'm not an amazing writer so I won't guarantee the quality of my posts... But here's the first one anyways...

I moved to a new city about 2 weeks ago and I've had a hard time finding a job. Granted I didn't really devote copious amounts of time to it but still... Last time I had to find a job I got the first one I applied for. Very telling of these troubled economic times. 

Anyways... I was perusing wanted ads on the internet when I came across one for Hooters. I had always been pretty intrigued by the idea of working somewhere that microscopic shorts and in-your-face cleavage isn't frowned upon. My last job was at a children's store. A far cry from Hooters. I was never really one of those girls who thought "Oh my god the girls that work there must be skanks!" which seems to be the common opinion. I was always jealous, though, of the care-free attitude and confidence that the girls who work there exuded. I'm not super self-conscious but the idea of having men stare at my boobs and ass all day is kind of daunting.

Putting my fears aside, I applied for the job as a server at my local Hooters restaurant. I copied the e-mail address in the ad into the "To:" line, wrote a quick paragraph telling a little bit about myself, attached my resume and a recent picture of myself, took a deep breath and clicked send. I had a moment of panic right after. WHAT AM I DOING??? I calmed myself down. Okay think about it... great tips, meeting girls around my own age to hang out with and I would be a Hooters Girl... The last one was probably the most exciting to me. Those girls are HOT!

Not even 2 hours after I sent in my application I got a call from the manager... let's call him R3. Anyways R3 said that he had received my application and wanted me to come in for an interview the next day. I was surprised that he had called so quickly after I sent my application. I was definitely not expecting that but I quashed my nervousness and pretended to be brave. The next day I would go at noon for my interview with him.

I wasn't really sure what to wear. I didn't want to look trashy but I needed to make sure they saw that I wouldn't look too bad in the unforgiving hot pants and tank top combo. I decided on my favorite dark jeans and a fairly low cut black silk top belted at the waist. I probably should have worn heels but those are all in a box somewhere and I really didn't have time to find them. So black flats it was.

       I left pretty early hoping to be there about 5 or 10 minutes before I was supposed to have my interview. I have the worst luck though so there was construction and traffic pretty much the whole way there. If I knew my way around better I would have taken a different route but I think that would have made my situation much worse.

        I got there pretty much right on time which irked me because I always like to be a bit early. I'm often over-prepared so this kind of situation stressed me out. R3 didn't seem to notice and was super friendly and welcoming. I was immediately comfortable around him which made the whole interview much easier.

       I'm a pretty outgoing person and I'm not usually shy but in interviews I tend to be a bit more reserved than what I'm typically like. My greatest fear going in to this interview was that this would happen. Being shy doesn't cut it at Hooters. I have never seen a girl there who wasn't super outgoing and bubbly so I knew that, if anything, I had to be much more exuberant than I actually am. Thankfully, because of  R3's friendliness, I was able to relax and become a slightly more smiley and bubbly version of myself. 

      He asked a few questions that I've never gotten before in an interview but are completely relevant to the job like if I had anyone in my life (parent, sibling, boy/girlfriend) who would object to me working there, if I was comfortable with wearing the uniform or if I would cry the second I tried it on and also if I was aware that most peoples' preconceived notions of Hooters wasn't accurate. Other than that the interview felt more like a conversation than a Q&A period. I was relieved. And apparently I did fairly well because I'm headed back tomorrow for a second interview. Wish me luck!