Pub sparks outrage with ‘sexist’ sign offering free meals to ‘hot girls’

IT WAS supposed to be a lighthearted promotion to attract more female customers — but a “hot girls eat free” sign outside a Sydney pub has outraged local women.

Barmaid Riley with some food outside the Petersham Inn.

IT WAS supposed to be a lighthearted promotion to attract more female customers — but a “hot girls eat free” sign outside a Sydney pub has outraged local women who say it is misogynist, degrades women and is sending the wrong message to their daughters.

Petersham Inn licensee Bianca McDonald told the Inner West Courier she and her team came up with the idea as a “creative and funny” way to attract women patrons to the venue after she took over in late June.

The Petersham Inn has recently been reopened as a sports bar. Picture: Craig Wilson

But the move backfired, with a post on the Inner West Mums Facebook page attracting more than 100 comments about the offensive poster, which includes a beautiful woman seductively eating a slice of pizza.

“Totally appalled! That is absolutely outrageous in this day and age,” one woman wrote.

“It’s offensive and wrong. How do I explain it to my two daughters?” wrote another.

Licensee Bianca McDonald says the idea was a “creative and funny” way to bring in customers.

The hotel, on the corner of Parramatta Rd and Phillip St, came under new management in June and relaunched as an American-style sports bar, with 42 big screens.

It also has a “gentleman’s club” known as the Strip Inn, which has a separate entrance to the public bar, with topless waitress and strip shows.

“The sign was meant to be lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek and to create a spirit of fun for the patrons, as well to bring local women into the pub,” Ms McDonald said.

“There are so many boring signs out there, why not have a bit of fun with it all?”

The interior of the Petersham Inn, which has created controversy among local women.

Ms McDonald said the pub uses the “urban dictionary” to define whether a girl is hot, and had only received one formal complaint so far.

“The joke is that when a girl comes to the bar the bar girls um and ah about whether she passes the test of the urban definition of ‘hot’, then after some deliberation (about five seconds) they pass the test and get a free meal with any drink purchase.”

The top definition for “hot girl” at urbandictionary.com is: “A girl that attracts guys and gives them boners and makes them want to do nasty things to her.”

Ms McDonald said she was disappointed the pub had only given away three “hot girls” meals so far and was considering moving the poster to the busier Parramatta Rd side.

Originally published as Pub sparks outrage with ‘sexist’ sign offering free meals to ‘hot girls’