Your Turn
"Breastaurant" sales at Hooters type restaurants are up as much as 50% in some places. My question to you is would you or have you gone to such places and do you think they are appropriate for children? I read some article about the trend where a guy says he takes his two daughters who are both under 8 there.
Never gone, but I think it's ridiculously inappropriate to take kids there.
ReplyDeleteNo worse than anything they see anywhere else if you ask me. When you have a kid you realize that this shit is everywhere. You go to the mall and there are huge posters of women in their underwear all over the place.
ReplyDeleteI think they're tacky but it's not like taking your kids to a strip club. It sends the same wrong message they're bombarded with by society day in and day out.
Yes, its everywhere, but no need to seek it out. Drugs are everywhere too, but u dont take u r kid out for a joint! And if u do, i dont wanna know!
DeleteKids inappropriate
ReplyDelete16 boys. Go for it
Have gone once, and the male friend I went with did leave like a 30% tip. Food wasn't that great, of course. Would not take my little one there.
ReplyDeleteNo and no
ReplyDeleteIt is one thing to see a poster of a woman and another to have your father take you there and possibly oogle the women in front of you.
Yes, I've been many times in the past and it was definitely not for the food.
ReplyDeleteHave I gone to hooters? Absolutely! Had my 22nd birthday there. Will I take my daughter? probably never as a kid or a teen.
ReplyDeleteTo me it's not so much the tight outfits that I wouldn't want kids to see, but the way it portrays women. I wouldn't want kids (boys or girls) to see women flirting for tips.
ReplyDeleteI could tolerate the boobies and butt cheeks if the food was any good, but it's not. I only went once and don't plan on going back.
ReplyDeletethank you for not posting a pic, and making us gag.
ReplyDeleteand no.
I'm torn. As I don't have any children yet, at least for the next week or two, I've never faced the dilemma of taking them there or not. I have however seen plenty of other folks with young kids there. Someone said that it's no different than what your kids could see on a beach or in malls, however when you go to a beach or a mall, the scantily dressed women are incidental to your visit, whereas at a Breastaurant, that's obviously part of the reason you're there, otherwise you'd be taking the kids to TGI Fridays or the likes.
ReplyDeleteWe were having lunch at a Hooters on a Saturday afternoon once, and someone was having their kid's birthday party there. Kid looked like he was maybe 12 or so. All the Hooters girls sang happy birthday and hugged him, must say the kid seemed to be having a really great birthday.
ReplyDeleteAlso a few months later, that same Hooters was having some kind of kids' carnival one weekday evening. Had an area of the parking lot roped off with games set up, bean-bag toss and such.
Ewwwwwwwww! Whats next? Taking ur kid to prositute u picked out for him? Very creepy!!
DeleteSaw the exact same article and had the same reaction as Enty:
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not, I would never take kids to one of these places. The message of these restaurants is: We value women for how they look. Period. That's it.
Why would anyone want to teach this to their children?
@SkittleKitty - you have it exactly right. How many unattractive or overweight women do they hire? None. It's a damn shame that women value themselves so poorly that they do this. There are other ways to make a living without diminishing your self worth.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, my mother worked as a mystery shopper and got an assignment to go to a Hooters. Among other things, such as cleanliness and speed of service, she had to confirm that the waitress bent over in front of her for her report. This is required of the wait staff. So degrading. Made me sick when she told me about it.
ReplyDeleteI always tell my fiance that I'll go to Hooters when there's a restaurant called Cocks where there are waiters in hot pants and clearly defined bulges.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, that would be gross, but I think it makes my point!
There's no Hooters in my city (I think) but there is no shortage of bars and restaurants where the women are hired based on looks. It makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't take my daughters but I definitely wouldn't take my sons. Boys have to stop being raised to objectify women. I am so sick of hearing friends say, "I'm so glad I didn't have girls, they're so much more work" or "they're so much more trouble" or "there's so much more to worry about." Why not stop believing that a teenage girl having sex is horrible and she can't be trusted to make wise choices? Whereas boys are encouraged to like scantily clad women and lose their virginity.
Ugh, now I'm riled up.
I'm w/ Califblondy. I'd go back if the wings they are "famous" for didn't suck. The waitresses don't bother me. I'm used to seeing scantily clad cocktail waitresses in NV anyway.
ReplyDeleteTheir food is not even worth the high priced menu.
I went to a few Hooters in the Carolina's in the early 2000's. I went with a cousin who wanted a shirt for every Hooters in town. It's not very risque, and rather boring really, but I wouldn't take my kids there if I had any.
ReplyDeleteI'm an evil gay person and I like going to Hooters. The girls are very sweet, usually, and it's about the closest thing the straight world has to a gay bar. Plus I like overpriced burgers as much as the next guy.
ReplyDeleteSales of these places are firm right now but sales are expected to sag in the future.
ReplyDeleteI was a fine-dining server for nearly 20 years, and it's crap like this that perpetuates the harassment of professional servers.
ReplyDeleteI just think if you're going to be a waitress, be a waitress. If you're going to be a stripper, no shade from me. I just don't think they belong together.
Fine dining can be very good money, and men (gay & straight) absolutely dominate the high-money jobs. Women not only are discriminated against to even get the job or good tables, but managers, co-workers, and regular customers will inevitably demand sex or dates and some point (NO MATTER how upscale the restaurant). I feel like places like this Hooters knock-off blur the line and make sexual harassment of all female service workers even more acceptable. JMHO.
I can't tell you how many millionaires I've had to appease by skillfully giggling and acting like the dumbass they expect I am. It keeps the peace at the table, it keeps you employed, but you have to be very skilled to 'accidentally' be unavailable when they're ready to ask you out or give their card. (Sometimes when the wife's in the restroom--no joke!)
And of course, I admit I'm incredibly biased. Not ALL people think their server is a secret prostitute, but enough do that i just hate the mixing of stripping & serving.
When a professional female server gets old/fat, she is often 'eased out' in favor of another 21-year old. Doesn't happen to men; their age & experience get them better gigs as they age.
Btw, if any fellow female server doubts this, try serving in award-winning restaurants that just happen to be in HOTELS. Good lord, I wish key cards were legal tender!
Amen sista, amen!
DeletePeople say the food at these places SUCK. When you got boobs bringing them in the mgmt could care less about the quality of the food
ReplyDeleteMy comments are always so long, usually because I don't have time and hang around to answer misconceptions or questions about what I've written. I get antsy to be sure I'm totally understood. Sorry that was so long, ladies.
ReplyDeletethanks for your continued patience with me.
I've been to a few different Hooters over the years. Every time the food sucks. The idea of it does send a bad message to kids. When I go to one, however, I feel that it's just lame. I've seen many more skimpier uniforms than the Hooters attire.
ReplyDeleteI was single in NYC and went out a lot. I would NEVER go to a place like Hooters then, let alone with kids.
ReplyDeleteI liked to have my fun, but even if I was just getting my drink on, I wanted my date to look at ME, not the waitress.
Sometimes I was invited to go with the guys after work to a strip club. I wanted to vomit-ran out to the bookstore and went home to huddle in the fetal position.
Oddly enough, the only time I ever felt comfortable in one of these places was the Playboy Club. The bunnies actually went out of their way to treat women customers well. Smart business move.
I never liked sports bars either. If I went out it was either with a date or to meet someone, and I didn't want his attention focused on some stupid game. Again, look at ME, please, TYVM!
Barton Fink, can I go next time with you? You sound like a lot of fun and I enjoy an overpriced burger, too.
ReplyDeleteI've never been and I don't believe there are any close to me. Are they big in certain regions of the Country?
I just wanted to give my two cents on this topic--
ReplyDeleteI worked at Hooters for a few years when I was in school, many years ago. I actually loved it, it taught me more about my self-worth than some of my girlfriends have ever understood and while we are technically flirting for tips, it's also a heck of a lot more fun and lucrative than some of my friends' server jobs--I left school with no student loans. Plus, our bosses had a 100% no tolerance policy, if we (or they) thought any customer was degrading us in the least, that customer was asked to leave. I made great money, amazing friends and met some really interesting customers. On the other hand, I could also tell you horror stories about some of the girls who went the way of drugs and stripping/ escorting-- some people just aren't as grounded.
As for taking kids there--I think it's all what you make of it. Sure, some people think it's degrading but it can also be an excellent opportunity to teach your children about the sexuality they are going to eventually experience in life. Use it as an opportunity to teach young men that a woman's body isn't something to leer at but instead something to respect; teach young ladies to embrace and accept their own bodies. Some people are going to be rude and act like pigs but that is also a part of life.
I completely understand and respect everyone's different opinions on the topic, it's not for everyone, but I thought I would share an insider's perspective.
I love all of the CDAN readers-- your comments all rock whether I agree with them or not!!
You cannot be serious!!! You used your body to make money. And that is so not the way to teach kids about sexuality, unless u r raising a stripper or pimp!
Delete@anita -" Boys have to stop being raised to objectify women."
ReplyDeleteThank you!
In the macho world of law enforcement, my hubby has to eat lunch at these places. The discussion turned to this very topic, as there were youngsters there during the lunch hour. The other guys were floored when hubby said he'd never bring his kids there. He told them, simply, "I raise my boys to respect women".
Apparently, there are places now that make the Hooters uniform look like something to wear to Sunday School.
Don't get me wrong, I don't give a crap about adults going to these places. Hell, I used to go to lunch at strip clubs when I worked in a male-dominated field. You had to prove you could hang with the guys. It was extra-funny because I was big and pregnant several times.
But a breastaurant isn't a place to take kids.
I have been to Hooters once or twice with my guy and I remember the food being greasy grimy gopher guts type stuff. And overpriced too…
ReplyDeleteWe also went on a vacation from NJ to Myrtle Beach via Hooters Airlines. Yes, there was such a thing. Hooters girls were the flight attendants in full Hooters uniform. I think the airline is defunct now.
Anyway, since MB is a big golf destination, there were lots of golfer guys on the plane, already shitfaced drunk at like 10 in the morning. I remember a few of the drunks giving the Hooters girls such a hard time with their leering stares and demeaning comments. I was embarrassed and really felt bad for the girls, but they handled it all in the nicest possible way. It must suck to have guys tripping all over their dicks to try to communicate with and impress you.
That being said, I'm not sure it is the best place to take kids, but I also don't have any, so I would never have to make that call.
Yeah it stinks for the girls, until drunky doesnt know what hes doing and gives her $100 tip! These women know what their doing and why.
DeleteDon't and won't go and definitely would never take my kids. I go to restaurants to eat good food. You can look at breasts anywhere.
ReplyDeleteIf adults want to go there, who the heck cares. I myself don't really fancy the joint, and certainly would never bring my kids there. With the thousands of restaurants available, why in the world would you pick that place? However, I'm trying to think if it's really just the peach colored Dove shorts with nude pantyhose that needle me? If they were yoga shorts, maybe I wouldn't even care? Hmm, something to think about (Off topic - I am so thankful that workout gear these days are knee pants and tank tops. I was 11 when my whole family joined Family Fitness, and it was striped leotards, white tights, leg warmers and braided headbands. Yuck!)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I also have to comment that my Dad (whom I adore but did not always make the best choices) took us to the Playboy club when we were little! His baseball friend's wife was a server there, and I have to admit I think I thought it was glamorous - and I was 8!!!
Where are you from?? I thought family fitness was a family owned place and not a chain. The only one I know of is in Lake Jackson, TX
DeleteThe hooters here in Umhlanga, SA has a "kids eats free" Sunday. And some people take their kids and the gran.
ReplyDeleteI actually saw a female family grouping (mom, grandma, kids) at Hooters when I was there the other day. I don't think the kids really realize that it's a "breastaraunt" meant to show off women to the patrons. In fact I overhead one of the little girls say to her waitress "You're so pretty like the girl on TV" (mom said she was referring to Baywatch reruns, which she watched with her gran).
ReplyDeleteI don't see how it's that bad compared to what you may see in the media or even out on the beach.
N do! Warping kids mind that women are a commodity.
DeleteEnty....Breastaurants aren't Hooters...they are Earls/Moxies and all the rest of the chain type loungey places where the servers ALL have to wear titty shirts and heels or high boots.
ReplyDeleteTHAT to me is just gross. As a woman I don't really go to these places anymore because the service I get is SHITTY compared to the men who tip big to have a set of tits serve them.
@Gary - LOL!!
ReplyDeleteNo, of course kids dont belong there. Ogle women when u dont have custidy if kids. I say that because there us a hooters near me, and when i pass it, sat and sun is alot of men with kids. Im guessing the hv custody that day, and its food for kids and boobs for men. There is a so- called fancy strip club by us that has Legs and Eggs in the am. Hubby and i think its hilarious, we always kid about going. Lol. Bottom line- its tacky and inapproiate ti bring kids there, no matter what their age.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly conservative, but I take my kids to Hooters all the time. We LOVE the wings!!! And the fried pickles. Some of the girls and I go there for lunch at work at lot too.
ReplyDeleteMy 9 year old is funny though, as he's really into girls and he sure notices! But I don't know, I feel like I'm teaching him to have his priorities in order...we're there for the food! LOL!
Oh...and the girls are really never all that pretty there, by the way. It's not like the calendars.
Wildly wrong, inapproiate, tacky and bs. Your 9 yr old is getting such a warped mixed message- with his MOTHER right there!!! Oh the therapy!! Seriously, there is no shere else that has such "good" food?!!
DeleteKids would probably enjoy McDonald's more, or someplace with a ball pit. And the wings do suck. I've never been to a Hooter's, but there was one across the street from a place I worked, and sometimes the Powers That Be would bring in the wings for a special treat for their peons, and the wings were nearly inedible.
ReplyDelete@anita_mark...you're right, boys are no easier. It's hard, especially as a single mom, to raise boys with good attitudes. Everyone used to tell me "at least you don't have to worry that he'll get pregnant" and I'd respond with "but I have to worry about everyone else's daughter getting pregnant".
I have all the respect in the world for the servers, though. It's a hard job.
If I had the youth and the body, I'd probably work as a stripper because the pay is so good.
Meagan...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insider's perspective. :)
I get what your saying, but personally I feel there are better ways to teach children respect for women and respect for their bodies than taking them to Hooters.
I am so jealous that you have no student debt!
I often wish I would have been a stripper in college...not that a Hooters server and a stripper are the same except for good money, but I tried serving and I was awful!
@Syko, I heart your little kitty so much. I want to give it kisses between the ears. That's probably weird to say but I don't care :)
ReplyDeleteStop comparing Hooters girls to strippers and prostitutes! Y'all are really doing a number on these girls, I swear.
ReplyDeleteSurprise! Showing some cleavage can get better tips from guys. It's been happening forever.
If someone looks good, has good people skills but doesn't like or isn't good at learning from books, why judge her on her job choice?
I used to like the girls better when they wore the orange gym shorts vice the booty shorts (and skin colored pants, jeez), and enjoy the sloppy joes, spicy chicken sandwich, and boneless wings. I also put a lot of effort into not looking down their tops- but maybe they don't like it when I don't stare (I'll glance from farther away).
I have taken my daughters there. Upon their request. Their mother objected, because she believes Hooters waitresses are all strippers and doesn't want to learn anything different.
Sorry, not buying this stiry.
DeleteI'm sorry, but, gang, you do realize these aren't topless bars or strip-clubs, right?
ReplyDeleteYou'll see more of Daisy Duke on "Dukes of Hazzard" reruns, more of every swimmer in the Olympics, more skin on display on any street in summer.
You can call places like that sexist if you want, but they're not porn theaters.
I'd like to clarify - it's not the amount of exposed skin that makes places like this inappropriate for children. It is the type and tone of the interactions that take place between customers and waitresses.
ReplyDeleteI am in no way implying that ALL customers or ALL waitresses act this way, but have seen and heard about enough shenanigans to say that's where the problem is. Yes, we all see folks in their swimwear at the beach, and no one gives a hoot, but when a waitress is sitting on a customer's lap, feeding him chicken wings (a true observed event), that's an environment not fit for children.
The difference is that at the beach, the main purpose isn't for ogling women in skimpy clothes. At Hooters, that's what they market themselves as (while still claiming that they are family friendly).
DeleteI went to a Hooters once -- bad food, and very sexist in that old fashioned way "hooters", lol. I'd rather go to a place that isn't trying to dress up its sexuality in family friendly clothing. So I will go to a strip club before I go to hooters type places.
ReplyDeleteHere in Washington, we have topless drive through coffee places. I finally went to one -- paid a ridiculous amount for my latte. But that latte tasted a lot better than anything I could get at Hooters (which, now that I think about it, I haven't seen around here).
And no, to taking kids to Hooters. Why choose the sexist option when there are other places? I won't judge anyone who worked at Hooters -- they are taking advantage of an opportunity to earn money from horny guys. But kids shouldn't be taught that places that hold up women as sex objects are fun places to hang out at. Let them explore that one on their own when they are college students hanging out with the boys.
I've been to a Hooters once, and the food sucked so I didn't go back. I'm inclined to agree with Jax here - at least Hooters are honest about the fact that they prefer hot girls and they want the girls to who show off their bodies and sell more food, and as a customer, you can choose that kind of environment. I recall the waitress there being very nice to both me and my husband, which is usually not the case at places like Earl's or Milestones, where they will be blatantly flirty and much nicer to him than they are to me. Which is too bad for them since I'm often the one who tips *L*.
ReplyDeleteI worked with someone whose 19 year old sister worked at a Hooters and they gave her notice that if she didn't drop some weight she'd be out of a job. Niiiiiiice.
ReplyDelete"Stop comparing Hooters girls to strippers and prostitutes!"
ReplyDeleteUh, my one time at a Hooters it was confirmed to me by three servers that some of the girls were, more or less prostitutes. My server noticed me scribbling in a notebook and asked if I was a writer. Thinking that I was a journalist, I guess, she spilled her guts about life as a Hooters girl. About how many of the girls accept expensive gifts, apartments, etc. to "date" some guys. About working the wet t-shirt contest circuit. It was quite an enlightening lunch.
I used to go to one in Aus because we knew one of the waitresses. I think the Australian hooters is more low key than the US one...
ReplyDeleteMaybe it depends on what Hooters you go to, but on Mother's Day back when my daughter was about 2 1/2, and I was pregnant with my second, after trying in vain to find a place to eat, hubby suggested Hooters. I was in the mood for wings anyway, and honestly, if you have never been there, don't judge. The girls were sweet, they gave my daughter a coloring book, crayons, and her meal came on a frisbee that she took home. She loved all the attention. So what if the girls wore shorts and T-Shirts that were a little snug? They had on more clothes than some women I've seen walking down the street.
ReplyDeleteYou can't shield your kids from everything, but you can teach them not to judge at face value.
Objectifying women is so wrong. Now, where are the pics of Joe Manjello and Marky Mark?
ReplyDeleteHaven't been there as an adult, but my mom and then-stepdad took us kids a few times. It wasn't a big deal at all. I'll probably take my kid there at some point, as there's one very close to my house & I really want some fried pickles.
ReplyDelete@TurkishTappy , I also had to go to the Playboy Club 1x (feels like a hundred years ago) and yes, same experience. They were trained to treat female patrons in the club with every courtesy (and free drinks). Pales in comparison to what's out there now, and we thought that was so racy:)
ReplyDeleteOMG, when I was a little girl I wanted to be a Playboy Bunny at one of the clubs, imagine that? I wince at the idea now but I thought it looked so glamorous and you got to wear the cutest outfit ever LOL
ReplyDeleteLol. Me too! And I always wanted to watch the "Easter Bunny" channel. Of course, I had no idea what it really was...
DeleteI'm a completely straight, confident woman. I am a mother. I like football and wings. I have taken my kids (8 and 6) to hooters. They were a bit younger, it's been awhile. I think your own perception is actually your reality, so if you don't make it a big deal, it's not. Just like you don't scream and make a fuss when your kids fall, they don't make it a big deal.
ReplyDeleteThe state of new Jersey has less dressed women. The beach, women wear skimpy bathing suits and thongs
Ugh I got cut off. Anyway, the shore is now banning bathing suits from the boardwalk?!
DeleteIf you don't want your kids to see certain things YOU can make the choice to avoid it. The rest of the world shouldn't be censored because the "moral majority" ha issues with it. Ridiculous!
I'm not gonna take my kids to a strip club, though, one of my oldest friends is a stripper/bondage model, who is an excellent mother. During the day she works at a vet office, by night she does what she does, and I don't judge her. She's keeping a roof over her family's head. Gotta do what ya gotta do.
I wouldn't do it, but I don't care what other people do. Not my business!
Have been to Hooters to watch a ball game. Not a fan. I am a "foodie" first.
ReplyDeleteIf I want to play with a cutsie gal that's not too bright, I have a dog at home that is much more engaging.
I used to work with a lot of men and they always wanted to go to Moxie's for lunch (Canadian chain, waitresses hired on looks). If I said no, I was always accused of being jealous or have low self-esteem, etc. It's not about confidence. I have pretty good self-confidence and sometimes too high self-esteem. I just hate seeing a place de-value women like that.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the male brain. I hate to be pandered to but this is exactly what these places do and they take it.
I dunno, the only time I went there was with my boyfriend and my older brother. I rolled my eyes and let them have their restaurant choice, but I was curious if these wings are as good as everyone always says...
ReplyDeleteThe food was kinda crappy, very very average, on the edge of below-average. Our 19-year old waitress giggled and droned on about her birthday party to the point where my brother and boyfriend were like, "umm...ok, let us eat our food now..." It was wierd. Everytime she came back she would ask the boys if they wanted another drink and acted as if I wasn't there...I really wanted another beer but could not get her to acknowledge me, it was so strange!
I have known a few Hooters girls and for the most part, they are actually wholesome, intelligent, kind girls just trying to make money but I don't agree that it sends a positive message to children or acts as a teaching tool.
By some cosmic coincidence, Hooters is, like the Church of Scientology, headquartered in Clearwater, Florida.
ReplyDeleteLibby, I read a long article about the widespread horrible sexual harassment of female servers, and I was appalled. I had no idea it was as bad as it is. I don't know how people can stand it.
ReplyDeleteBoo, this story just reminded me of 'Boobylicious' from GCB, and that made me sad all over again that it got canceled. :(
ReplyDeleteI'm in college and I've heard about how the girls make really good money and I wanted a fun environment to work in. Seemed like a good idea until my guy friend told me how the girls who make good tips sit on the Guy's laps and really work it and they're allowed to touch you. According to him, the managers say you can put up with it or leave. Not sure of that part is true or just his perspective, but I decided against it. Twin Peaks is much worse when it comes to outfits (plaid shirt tied under boobs with short shorts), but they're supposedly treated better. And the Hooters I've been to, not all the girls are pretty or have the best bodies so it wasn't based on pure looks.
ReplyDelete