Sorry, paying a premium for overpriced, mediocre, messy food so that I can act as though I was eating alone (if I actually ate that way at home, alone) is not how I choose to spend my money.
I have not and never will “boycott” Hooters or encourage anyone else to boycott them, but I’m spending my money elsewhere.
I went to a Hooters for the first time about a month ago with a friend. I was thoroughly unimpressed. Since the friend was paying, I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu (a $6 hot dog, billed as “The Ultimate Hot Dog” or somesuch nonsense).
He payed extra to get cheese on the dog for me, but that turned out to be a single slice of generic American cheese, slapped on top of the dog and not even melted. The hot dog itself was about the same - low-end, boiled, grocery store shit.
The fake flirting was what really turned me off, though. The waitress asked if I wanted a beer, but I said that I’d rather have a Coke, since I didn’t like to drink alcohol while I ate.
She kneeled down at the table, smiled, looked me in the eyes, and said, “Neither do I, honey.”
Yeah, right. Try to identify with me so you can angle for a better tip. There you go. Touch my shoulder. That’ll help. I didn’t respond, but rather just rolled my eyes at her. I hate phony bullshit, and, essentially, that’s all that Hooters waitresses peddle.
I have no moral qualms with the place. Hell, I have no moral qualms with real strip clubs!
I just think that it’s kind of pathetic to buy overpriced, lousy food just so an attractive woman will pretend to flirt with me. I cast no dispersions on those who like that sort of thing, but it’s definitely not for me.
The Cuban Sammich.
Trust me.
No, really… it’s good.
The things that you cast are aspersions.
I’ve eaten at Hooters a few times but generally I’ve found the food is average and overpriced.
Went to a couple in the US,
Food, sub optimal
Waitresses, couldn’t see what the fuss was about
Beer, don’t remember it so guessing nothing special either.
Went to one in the UK, I don’t know why I thought it would be better, it wasn’t. I geuss I am a slow learner.
For anyone who works there and makes good cash, good on you, just not my pot of sauce.
I can’t understand why anyone would find the establishment offensive on any basis other than culinary capability.
One more vote for suck-ass food, ignorant US-standard junk beer and high prices. At least they still have above average amounts of low grade cocktease coming from (most of) the waitresses.
In all, not a big hit with me.
If they were able to go back to better food, better prices, and better women in better outfits behaving better (ie badder) they might be worth it. Skanky, but worth it.
The single reason I won’t go to Hooters is I hate the “sex sells” advertising angle. If they have good food or beer, then advertise good food and beer.
I’m connected to the Internets. I can see tits (naked or in t-shirts) for free. I can’t download good food and beer.
Your post pretty much sums up at least one reason why i don’t go to Hooters.
I don’t go to Hooters for roughly the same reason that i don’t go to sports bars. Crappy, over-priced food combined with loud, idiotic customers and annoying, excessively perky waitresses really doesn’t appeal to me very much. When i ceased being a drooling adolescent, i developed a desire to go to places where i’m not treated like a drooling adolescent.
If i want to watch sports in a public setting, i’m much more likely to find a decent neighborhood pub or bar.
Also, as a vegetarian i find that there’s often very little (decent food) for me to eat on the menus of chain establishments.
Absolutely.
Note that this doesn’t mean i’m a prude, or that i don’t like looking at attractive women. I’ve been known, for example, to view pornography.
But i hate the assumption that i’m stupid enough to buy something just because a blonde with a large pair of tits is placed in my field of vision. This applies not only to Hooters, but to TV and magazine advertising and a whole range of other scenarios.
I realize that fighting this trend is like pushing shit uphill, but i’m doing it anyway.
The reason I don’t go to Hooters is because of the guys who like going to Hooters! I actually haven’t been to one in years, but aside from the generic overpriced food and the cheesy waitresses saying cheesy stuff in their cheesy costumes, I always seemed to be sitting next to a bunch of guys who insist on high fiving every member of their party after every significant play. In addition, they think it is hilarious to flirt loudly with the waitresses after which they exchange high fives and put on more colonge (Do drunk guys still high five each other like they did 8-10 years ago?). Like others have said, there have been so many wing places open up over the past few years there are plenty to choose from if you are in the mood for some wings and beer. I prefer a real restaurant/bar without the dumb gimmicks.
I became a wing connoisseur relatively late in life, but the first time I tasted the flour-battered poorly cut wings from Hooters, I hated the place. Wings get much, much better, in several ways. Better sauces, clean cut wings, and “naked” fried wings are all key. I’d rather go to a wing specialty place like Rooster’s, BW3’s is a rip-off, their wings are tiny.
The food sucks and the waitresses are average, at best. This tells me that the Hooters people don’t have a clue as to what they’re doing. They could make waaaay more money if they provided what they say they’re going to provide. Better food, better drinks, better atmosphere, and waitresses who actually look good in shorts would be a start. Then, if they could please just torch those ugly uniforms and go for something that’s actually sexy? The uniforms look like 1970s basketball outfits. How could anyone think they’re attractive?
Also, don’t most places change the uniform look every couple years? If they’re going for “trademark”, well…they’ve made an impression – and it ain’t a good one.
Well that would turn me off to it to, just happens that this has not been my experence. Also not that I go that often, perhaps a dozen times ever - about 3 of which was a call in-pick up order, so I may have just gone in times where there was no game going on.
The only beef I have with Hooters is that I think their food is mediocre at best.
I’ve only been there a couple of times. Meh.
Hooters is a good place to take a bisexual girl on a date. I know from experience 
Foodwise, I do like chicken wings, but Hooters wings are too greasy IMO. I’d probably go there more often if I liked the food better.
I take my two boys there about twice a month. (8 and 13)
I’m not real crazy about their food but me and my boys always have fun going there.
I have my own boobs, and I’m just not that fascinated by other people’s. I’d rather patronize one of the locally-owned restaurants that has great beer and great greasy food.
I haven’t been to a Hooters since 1999 or so, so I may have been there before they toned it down (the waitresses were wearing short red hot pants, no hose).
Both times I went, it was with swing couples (what ArchitectChore says is right).
I don’t care much for greasy food, so I can’t really judge it.
I remember in 1993 discussing with my then-girlfriend the lawsuits they were battling. IIRC, she said they were accused of hiring only large-breasted waitresses, and thought this was unfair discrimination (she was quite buxom herself, and, IMO, a little sensitive to guys drooling over women like her).
I told her I couldn’t see the difference between hiring only buxom waitresses, and hiring only attractive waitresses, which a lot of cocktail lounges do, with no controversy.
I have to say that when I finally did go to a Hooters a few years later, I didn’t think the waitresses seemed any more buxom than those at any other cocktail lounge or sports bar.
I get the impresson that if Hooters called itself something like “Bud’s Sports Bar”, with no changes in the food, waitresses or costumes, they would have folded long ago.
The fact that their name says breasts, and the ‘valiant’ battle they’ve fought claiming piously to only be about food (and owls), has generated them the controversy to prosper.
This being America, I say, good on them.
My friends and I used to frequent Hooters several years ago, but not anymore.
Used to be the girls were quite attractive, very friendly and showed a little cleavage, a lot of nice leg and occasional ass cheekage. Not all the food was great, but some of it was pretty good.
Now the girls seem to be older and less attractive, when they socialize at all, they only talk and flirt with the really young guys and they wear some kind of shiny industrial pantyhose, which means you are no longer seeing nicely tanned thighs and cheekage. The quality of the food had deteriorated too.
The last time I was in a Hooters, a guy in a tux brought in his date for dinner before going to the prom. It wasn’t like they had any friends who worked there, he just was tacky enough to consider Hooters a good place for prom night dinner. Sad.