r/AMA

Hello Reddit, my name is Ella and I am 26 now, but I worked at Hooters from 22 to 24 while I was finishing college. Whenever I tell people that I usually get one of two reactions. Either, “You must have made a ton of money,” or, “Was it as creepy as everyone says?” Honestly, both are true.

I applied because my roommate worked there. She came home after one Friday shift with more money in tips than I made working an entire week in retail. That was enough to convince me. The training actually surprised me too. They focused a lot on customer service and how to handle difficult customers, not just the image people associate with the restaurant.

The money could be great. During football season I’d sometimes leave with $400 or $500 after a busy shift, but slow lunches could be a complete waste of time. Overall though, it paid my rent and helped me graduate without taking on more debt.

Most customers were completely normal. Families, couples, groups of friends, and regulars who just liked the food. Then there were the guys who thought every smile meant you were flirting.

One regular came in every Wednesday for almost a year, always ordered the same thing and never seemed weird. Then one day he handed me a handwritten letter saying we had a special connection and asking me to quit my job so we could date. We barely talked beyond taking his order. Management told him not to come back after that.

On the other hand, there was an older couple who requested my section every Friday because I reminded them of their granddaughter. They always asked how school was going and celebrated with me when I graduated. Those are the customers I actually remember the most.

People ask if I got hit on all the time. I did, but honestly the worst part was hearing the same pickup lines every single shift. The “Do the hot wings come with your phone number?” joke stopped being funny after about the second time.

The hardest part was the assumptions. The second people heard I worked at Hooters, some of them acted like that told them everything about me. They didn’t see the engineering student working six days a week to pay tuition. They just saw the uniform.

Looking back, I’d probably do it again. It helped me finish school, gave me confidence and introduced me to some amazing coworkers. Years later, I barely remember the rude customers. I remember the people I worked with, the late night laughs after closing and how we all looked out for each other.

For me, Hooters wasn’t really about the uniform. It was just another restaurant full of young people trying to pay there bills and figure out life. I definately learned a lot more than I expected. Soooooo, with all that said please Reddit, Ask Me Anything. (Also sorry if I don’t reply suuuuper quickly I will try my best)

TLDR: I worked at a Hooters and now ask me questions :P

EDIT: Holy crap. I never would have imagined it would blow up to this level this fast. I will be answering some questions tonight, but the rest tomorrow so I am sorry for the delay. I also wanted to make it clear after a few DM’s already that I am comfortable and happy answering questions sent thru DM, ones that you might not be comfortable to share out here, I am not one to judge. Thank you all for the support <3

I am 38 years old, born and lived my whole life in Ukraine. Studied in the UK for a year.
I served 2014-2015 as mortar operator and then 2022 onward.
Our brigade operates foreign-produced equipment and ammunition and has foreign personnel.