Florida woman begins working at Hooters. Then she reveals the rules that she has to follow as a server

Every job has a set of rules and policies employees must abide by. And infamous breastaurants like Hooters aren’t an exception. A former Hooters server pulls back the curtain on how rigorous these standards are.

“Get ready with me while we have more Hooters talk,” former Hooters server Sienna (@siennaraedavis) says, standing in her bathroom and applying her makeup. “So, this is gonna be more about the rules we all have to follow.” 

What Was It Like Working at Hooters?

First up is the appearance. There’s no denying that the establishment places heavy emphasis on its servers’ looks. But Sienna says it’s very strict.

“Always had to wear makeup showing up to a shift or a sanctioned Hooters event,”  she says. “The specifics were covering up your dark circles, blush, mascara, having your eyebrows tamed and something on your lips. That’s the minimum requirement.”

In addition, styled hair for every shift is a requirement. But this is only the tip of the iceberg.

“You cannot be seen outside of the restaurant in your uniform,” the content creator says. “So, walking into work and walking out of work, you need to have a cover-up on. You’re not even allowed to walk off the deck in your uniform.”

According to Sienna, this can be a firable offense, as one former co-worker allegedly lost her job for leaving the building to park a customer’s car.

Moving on, it’s tattoos. “You couldn’t have any tattoos on your neck or face,” she shares. “Nothing raunchy, trashy, political, anything controversial that couldn’t be tattooed on your body either.”

But Wait, There’s More

Moreover is the topic of social media. Like the building rule, the same applies online.

“They will clock you. One of my friends actually got fired for live streaming, but it was one of the comments that were happening in the chat box that weren’t ‘Hooters approved,’” she recounts, though she says she’s guilty of breaking it.

She continues, “One of the girls popped into her live and started twerking. If you filmed a TikTok with cuss words, you couldn’t post it if you were in uniform.”

Then, the content creator reveals that unnatural hair color (such as pink, blue, and so forth) and declining photos are off-limits.

Next up are IDs, which Hooters takes very seriously.

“You can be 90 years old and come into Hooters but if you don’t bring in your ID, I can’t serve,” Sienna says. “They  have this company that does around sponsored through Hooters and they’ll go around test you and if you fail, you won’t even know until you get a red card on your table and fire you on the spot.”

Lastly, limited jewelry is standard. “Also, no face piercings. If you have a nose ring, it had to be a stud,” she says. “You can wear one dainty necklace. Before, you could only wear stud piercings and a wedding ring.”

“That is in the contract,” she concludes.

What Are Her Thoughts?

Sienna told The Mary Sue the breastaurant was the first job that got back to her when she applied at 16 years old. From there, she would work there for five years-two as a host and three as a server, from ages 16- 21, in Jacksonville. So, what compelled her to spill the tea on these practices?

“I decided to share these rules because I know it’s a topic people are interested in and realized I could monetize off of my stories,” she revealed.

At first, these rules were simple for her.

“The rules were decently easy to follow. Our managers were pretty laid back, but whenever corporate came, which was often, we all had to shape up fast,” she said. “I definitely abused the social media rule. I also would try to get away with unapproved jewelry and hairstyles, but for the most part, I followed guidelines because I loved the girls I worked with and didn’t want to lose my job, as I had seen happen to others.”

However, this all started shifting under returning management.

“Working there was decently easy until they couldn’t afford to have more than one girl on the floor serving at a time; it then became boring and a little hectic,” Sienna said. “The real changes came when Hooters got bought back by the original owners. They were supposed to make it ‘how not used to be’ but really just angered a lot of their clientele with all the changes they made.”

Thus, she left the establishment for a better opportunity.

“I left because I got another job that was less work and more money,” she said. “Plus, I just thought 5 years was enough for me and I didn’t want to tell people I worked there anymore.”

Former Hooters Servers Weigh In

Sienna’s revelation accumulated over 12,000 views, with former Hooters workers collectively agreeing that the establishment was rigid.

“The number of pens allowed in our pouch is what always got me,” one viewer remarked.

“This had me SAT!” another stated.

“PLSSS i do not miss ts at ALL,” a third commented.

“It’s so strict but I love it there,” a fourth said.

Why is Hooters’ Standards Stringent?

It all boils down to the company tailoring its business concept to fit a specific image. Hooters relies on pretty, charismatic women wearing skin-tight uniforms to cater to the male gaze to generate sales. Their website lists a Hooters Girl must have “the All-American Cheerleader / Surfer-Girl-Next-Door image to fill our restaurants. In other words…Very bubbly, outgoing personalities.”

Therefore, the more attractive candidate is more ideal than serving experience. In the same vein, hiring based on appearance is just as much of a reason as for firing. And this is completely legal. Since the women are ‘entertainers,’ not servers, the company can get away with this through the ’Bona Fide Occupational Qualification,’ per Mashed.

@siennaraedavis this was so normal when i worked there but looking back kinda cray ? #hooterstok #serverlife #hooters #fypシ #hootergirlsoftiktok ♬ original sound – sie ?

The Mary Sue reached out to Hooters via press email.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]