Since Hooters first opened in 1983 it has spawned a new breed of restaurants (breastaurants) and become the fav of every 14 year old boys worldwide. Now the restaurant chain has filed for bankruptcy protection with $376 million in debt. The sale of 151 corporate locations still has to be approved by the bankruptcy judge and the chain hopes to exit bankruptcy in three to four months. But should they?

Men like to look at cute girls. Hooters success brought forth the Tilted Kilt, Twin Peaks, Bombshells and many others. Tallywackers, a phallic version, lasted only 15 months before permanently closing. Men and women are different. They are both visual. And male servers are great in a shirt and tie, but a tank top and ranger panties don’t cut it for men. Do we really need scantily dressed women serving wings in a loud room with 10 large tv screen showing sports? Never mind. Don’t answer that.

Before the peak of the breastaurant, between 2005 and 2015, Hooters was always packed. Naturally, sports streaming services were not like they are either! Cold beer on tap, multiple screens with multiple games. cheering, and you might even meet a girl. Then the lawsuits started. Black Lives Matter sued Hooters over the skimpy outfits (people wear less at the beach), Black Lives Matter sued for hiring practices, and a Trans Persons sued for discrimination.

Now, along with the lawsuits and bankruptcy, an article sits in the New York Post “I studied Hooters girls for a living — here’s what I learned about their well-being.”. From the article:

Many women were drawn to Hooters by the promise of higher earnings and flexible schedules, with some claiming to have earned hundreds or even thousands of dollars per shift.

But the boost to their bank accounts could sometimes come at a pretty high psychological price.

“I was originally interested in studying servers at breastaurants because I could sense an interesting dynamic at play,” Dawn Szymanski, a psychology professor at the University of Tennessee, wrote in The Conversation.

For your situational awareness, Dawn Szymanski is a full U.T. Knoxville Professor (Go Vols). Keywords in her resume include:

heterosexism; lesbian, gay, and bisexual issues; sexual objectification; masculinity; resilience, activism; multicultural-feminist therapy.

Take everything she says with 2 grains of salt. More from the article about Hooters bankruptcy:

Through a series of studies, Szymanski and her team revealed a somewhat depressing reality behind the brand’s “Delightfully Tacky, Yet Unrefined” slogan.

Firstly, they found that the managers of these restaurants were often very controlling when it came to the appearance of their servers, who were given booklets with beauty instructions down to hair and nails and virtually prohibited from gaining weight or changing their looks in any way.

On top of that, they had to be charming and pleasant at all times.

“They were instructed to make male customers feel special, to be their ‘personal cheerleaders,’ as one interviewee put it, and to never challenge them,” Szymanski wrote

The place is so 80’s:

.

I guess Dr. Dawn Szymanski never tried getting a job a Ralph Lauren. Rules about hair, makeup and clothes same as Hooters. Once you are hired, your looks have to be photography for your employee file and no deviations. Here is the general outline from the Ralph Lauren Handbook:

What is the Dress Code at Ralph Lauren?
Ralph Lauren is a globally recognized fashion brand known for its iconic polo player logo and timeless designs. With its reputation for elegance and sophistication, many individuals wonder about the dress code at Ralph Lauren. Whether you are attending a corporate event, visiting one of their stores, or aiming to dress in their signature style, understanding the brand’s dress code can help you create a polished and put-together look.

I think it’s probably less stressful to work at Hooters than Ralph Lauren and cheaper too.

Hooters corporate needs to embrace the brand. Sell wings, sports and girls in skimpy outfits. Own it, baby. Don’t be afraid. Be bold. Be America First.

Featured Image: Anthony92931/Wikimedia Commons.org/cropped/Creative Commons 3.0