If I said the phrase “orange shorts,” there is a good chance your first thought would be Hooters. There seems to be a lot of controversy on what is true and what is not about being this job. Coming from a former Hooters girl, I can attest to what is true and what is not.

Note: I worked at a corporately owned Hooters, making some of these points different if you worked for a franchised Hooters.

True:

1. Hooter girls do get a lot of phone numbers.

I started as Hooters as a single girl but then became engaged and married. Ring or no ring, you’ll still get numbers. Heck, some guys even take their rings off to try and seem single (nice tan line, dude).

2. You have to have pictures of you approved in uniform to become a Hooters girl.

After your first interview (sometimes the same day of), you will put on the famous uniform and have pictures taken of you. These pictures get sent off to the higher-ups to decide if you fit the Hooter girl image.

3. You are required to look glamorous every time you’re in uniform.

You must have at least mascara and lipstick on, your hair must be styled with a hot tool and your body must look flattering in the uniform.

4. You must execute the Mystery Shopper Test.

Hooters hires a company that sends in an undercover person(s) that have a list of the steps you are required to perform. This is the reason when you go to Hooters, the girls suggest so many drinks and food as well as merchandise. Some stores implemented the rule if you fail the undercover mystery shop, you lose your job.

5. You must have a tolerance for people that think they’re at a brothel.

Some people think Hooters is basically a strip club or a therapy office. They come to you to say completely inappropriate things or to pour out their entire heart. They treat the Hooter girls like either the queen of the world or the gum on the bottom of their shoe. It’s so difficult to explain, but the best advice I have that each girl uses during every shift is, “Just take it with a grain of salt, and pray you get a new table soon.”

False:

6. You do NOT have to have boobs that are a certain size to work at Hooters.

There is a rumor that to be a Hooters girl, you have to stand to face a wall and your nose can’t touch. That supposedly proves you have the “qualifications” to work there. That is a huge no. Despite that it may have been a rule before to have big headlights, there are now no breast requirements. The only rule is to look attractive in the uniform, with or without them.

7. Hooters Girls or eHarmony user?

So many females come to Hooters with their boyfriend/husband and treat their waitress like she’s a disgrace. The confusing part is that their waitress did not force them to come eat at Hooters, so why did they bring such a nasty attitude to the table? Also, to every woman who thinks the Hooter girl is going to somehow steal your man while y’all are enjoying supper, I can promise you that 99% of the Hooters girls have boyfriends. Nobody wants your man, and I’m sorry if you’re too insecure to enjoy some overpriced wings with an attractive girl there to refill your Sierra Mist.

8. Hooters does not pay the servers, you do!

This isn’t just Hooters, it’s most restaurants. The servers make $2.13 an hour where I’m from. After taxes and the government get their share, that leaves the servers making nothing other than tips. If you’re going to occupy your servers table and run her like an athlete training for the Olympics, please consider that when you ran out. There are many many people who request certain Hooter girls multiple times a week. They’re called regulars for a reason. If you especially request a server, be mindful of that. If your service was enjoyable, then make that known on the tip line. Your smile and “thank you for the great service” sadly doesn’t pay the power bill.

9. Hooters Girls are not just for looks.

At Hooters, we had no busboys, hardly ever a person to wash dishes or do side work. Hooters girls do so much more than just serve you. When you become a Hooters girl, you clean your tables, restock the store, wash dishes, put them away, sweep, mop, clean bathrooms, the whole nine yards. Hooter girls by no means just sit and look pretty, there is a lot more to the job than people realize.

Hooters was the most fun job I’ve ever had. I met life-long friends that I will cherish forever! Hooters makes you happy!