Hooters is the trade name of two restaurant chains, Hooters of America, Inc based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and Hooters, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida. Between company owned locations, and franchisees, there are now over 350 Hooters restaurants, in 46 US states, plus 13 other countries, including Canada, Mexico, and Singapore - its first overseas location to open. The chain began operations on October 4, 1983 with a restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, and is still privately held.
Hooters targets male customers with a female waitress staff, though men find employment at Hooters as cooks, hosts, bartenders, and managers. The menu includes hamburgers, steak, other sandwiches, seafood, and chicken. It also specializes in buffalo wings. Almost all Hooters hold alcoholic beverage licenses and sell a selection of beer and wine.
A Hooters Girl is a female waitress employed by the Hooters restaurant chain. It is generally thought that Hooters Girls are chosen for their breast size, but in fact are usually chosen for all-around good looks, attractive legs, and if small-chested, they may be asked to pad their bras. They are instantly recognizable by their uniform of a white tank top with the Hooters owl logo and the location name on the front paired with the famously short orange runners' shorts. Originally, the T-shirts were white cotton, pulled tight, and knotted in the back to emphasize the breasts. For years, this knot tying was a Hooters ritual before opening. Later, Hooters changed to a tight white spandex top that eliminated the knot-tying and is also less transparent when wet. Waitresses also have a choice of shirts that are more suitable for cold weather. The company also began using other colors and designs for their tops such as a camouflage theme on Monday ("Military Mondays"), black on Friday ("Formal Fridays") and the football uniforms of a local NFL team during the NFL season. The remainder of the Hooters Girl's uniform consists of glossy suntan pantyhose, white socks, and white athletic shoes. Pantyhose are a requirement for good looks, as are good shoes, because waitresses and waiters everywhere face the danger of plates and hot food dropped onto their feet. Men who work at Hooters wear shirts with long pants or Bermuda shorts, or attire more suitable for cooking in.