Secret rule that got Hooters girls sent home revealed as ‘breastaurant’ files for bankruptcy
The once popular “breastaurant” has just filed for bankruptcy in the US, prompting former waitresses to spill wild stories from the racy job.
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It was the infamous eaterie dubbed a “breastaurant” by witty fans.
But as Hooters files for bankruptcy in the US, two of the glamorous girls that had customers flocking to the chain have revealed the secret rules they were forced to follow.
Some girls claimed they would make up to $US800 (about $1300 Australian dollars) a day in tips but had to follow strict rules on their appearance, including no weight gain or ponytails, The Sun reported.
Sources reported last week that Hooters is set to go bust after owing $US300 million ($A482m) in asset backed bonds, with rumours that a rival diner has been steadily stealing customers for years.
Kyla Estelle, 28, worked at Hooters in Kentucky for three years and claims they received so many sexual harassment lawsuits that rules had to change.
“You were lined up and judged on your appearance before you got on the floor to work your shift,” she said.
“I’m really not shocked it’s closing. We had strange characters come in and lots of forceful men who would think they were entitled to you.
“I’ve had to sneak out the back door at the end of a shift because male customers would get aggressive and drunk.”
The bar is widely known for its female waitresses who wear revealing orange shorts and tight-fitting white tops that show off their figures.
In 2015, Hooters stores in Australia were placed into voluntary administration. Remaining stores in Parramatta, Penrith and Campbelltown in Sydney, the Gold Coast and Townsville met the same fate in 2018.
“Australia’s branch of the well-known American food chain Hooters has been placed into voluntary administration in order to give the company some ‘breathing space’ and help the owner reassess the business and his involvement moving forward,” a statement supplied to The Western Weekender, at the time said.
“The director has advised that legacy issues as well as changes in the conditions required to meet working visas has added to the challenges in recent times faced in the competitive hospitality industry.”
It initially opened in Australia in 2006, employing more than 400 people.
After the racy chain faced a steep decline in the US as well, customers blamed it on the restaurant allegedly letting their staff ‘standards’ slip.
One disgruntled customer said on X: “I attribute the death of Hooters mostly to the decline in attractiveness of servers.”
Taylor Douangmala, 24, from San Diego worked at Hooters for six years after being hired at just 17-years-old.
She told The Sun it was the best job she ever had but now Hooters “is so dead, it’s crazy”.
At the height of its success Hooters had its own airline and ran an annual Miss Hooters beauty pageant, as well as producing a calendar.
It also boasted more than 600 locations worldwide but this has now dropped to only 300 restaurants globally.
“When I got hired in 2019 everybody wanted to work there,” Taylor said.
“Now when I walk in and I see the girls who are working there, I can tell if it is a good Hooters or not.
“It is nowhere near as strict as it used to be. Girls now have their hair up in ponytails or have tattoos which were never allowed.
“It was also a big deal when one of the girls came in without their makeup done – they’d be sent home.”
Taylor explained that one reason behind Hooters’ failure is due to women making more money from VIP waitress jobs and a lack of interest in the chain.
“Some stories from my time there were a little inappropriate,” Taylor added.
Feeding the fantasy
Taylor revealed she would make up to $US800 ($A1300) in tips a night on top of her wage and regular customers would sometimes take around 15 Hooters girls out for fancy rooftop dinners.
Kyla added: “The more I fed into the fantasy and did my makeup, the more money I could make.”
“One girl even had a regular male customer buy her new shoes for $US600 ($A943).”
Taylor said: “Every time one guy would come in he would tip me $US300 ($A480). I would always get their number after they would tip me.
“I was never ashamed of the outfit. There was a prestige about being beautiful enough to work there.
“I am so sad that it is closing.”
The downfall of Hooters
The ‘breastaurant’ was incredibly successful in America in the 1980s, with comedian Katherine Ryan and model Chrissy Teigen among the celebrities who used to be Hooters girls.
Since its heyday the brand has suffered discrimination lawsuits and a dated reputation, The Sun reported.
In 1993, several Hooters staff sued the chain claiming that the restaurant created an environment that allowed customers to make sexual comments and advances to its waitresses.
In October, last year Hooters paid $US250,000 ($A400,000) to settle a race and colour lawsuit that alleged a Hooters in North Carolina engaged in discriminatory practices.
In 2021, Hooters girls kicked back at the chain on social media claiming the shorts were too short and the uproar went viral on TikTok.
Many ex-employees praise the brand but recognise its controversial standards and backwards representations of women.
After visiting a Hooters bar in San Diego three weeks ago Taylor was shocked at how empty the venue was.
She said: “The service was horrible and it was so dead. Nobody really cares about Hooters anymore.
“There were only two tables of customers in there and we didn’t get our drinks for 20 minutes.
“When I worked there I had to memorise 16 service steps and study it before doing a test.
“People are more woke now, they don’t want to be told how to wear their hair and stuff.”
This story originally appeared on The Sun and reproduced with permission
Originally published as Secret rule that got Hooters girls sent home revealed as ‘breastaurant’ files for bankruptcy