8 Strict Rules That Have Gotten Hooters Girls Fired
Servers at most restaurants can expect to be fired for offenses such as consistent tardiness, theft, or just general poor performance. But at Hooters, the employee handbook looks a little different. As it turns out, the laid-back atmosphere of the sports bar and grill is actually built on a long list of strict rules its waitresses must adhere to—most of which revolve around their uniforms and appearance.
A current Hooters girl, Jardin Taylor, recently took to the social media platform TikTok to share a few of these regulations, and how they ultimately resulted in the termination of several of her coworkers. Taylor's eye-opening video has already racked up close to half a million views and she's certainly not the first Hooters girl to come forward with this type of behind-the-scenes information.
Read on to discover which of the chain's unorthodox rules have gotten Hooters waitresses fired in the past, as confirmed by Taylor and other former employees.
RELATED: Hooters Servers Are Complaining About the Chain's Inappropriate New Uniforms
Hooters girls cannot change their hair color
At modern-day Hooters, a more natural look is valued. This means only waitresses with naturally-colored hair are considered for the position, and they are additionally not permitted to dye their hair while they are still employed—unless approved by a manager.
"One of the main rules of Hooters is that, whatever you look like when you are hired, you have to maintain that standard," Taylor explained in her TikTok video. This rule cost one of Taylor's fellow Hooters girls her job when she dyed her hair from black to red and then declined her manager's request to switch it back.
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Hooters girls must have their hair styled
And, that's not the only hair-related stipulation. Another Hooters employee recently shared her own TikTok post, where she discussed a few rules that come with the gig. Among them was that servers are expected to have their hair done for each and every shift, in addition to keeping it an acceptable, natural color.
Hooters girls have to limit the amount of jewelry they wear
Taylor shared that a different server was forced to turn in her orange shorts and tank top when she failed to comply with the restaurant's strict jewelry policy. Servers can only wear stud earrings, one ring, and are not allowed to wear any type of necklace. Additionally, only small stud nose rings are permitted, and Taylor's colleague broke this rule by wearing a septum nose ring. Taylor shared that her coworker technically quit before she could be fired after she refused to take out the piercing.
Hooters girls could be fired for gaining weight
Believe it or not, servers at the wing joint can also get the boot for gaining weight. "In our location, you got two weight warnings and then you were fired," an inside source shared on Buzzfeed. "If you got pregnant, though, they had special uniforms," she additionally clarified.
Hooters girls are not permitted to wear their uniform outside the restaurant
The recognizable orange and white Hooters ensemble is highly revered and is not to be worn off-premise for any reason. This even includes in the parking lot both before and after servers' shifts. The chain takes this rule very seriously and a former server even recalled waitresses being fired for breaking it, according to the same Buzzfeed thread.
"You were only allowed to be seen in your uniform at the restaurant—no arriving in uniform, no leaving in uniform, and definitely no lending the uniform to friends for Halloween/costume parties," she said. "Girls actually got fired for this."
Hooters girls must strike a delicate balance with makeup
In yet another viral TikTok, a Hooters girl read a few guidelines straight from her updated employee handbook, specifically around both dress and makeup. "Makeup is not optional," she read. "You must come to work photoshoot-ready." The rule book also expanded on how servers should blend their makeup to look natural and shared a pre-approved list of makeup brands to use.
The "natural" standard also extends into nail color. Bright colors, glitter, nail art, and any chipping or peeling polish could all lead to a write-up at the chain.
Hooters girls cannot sport visible tattoos
The Hooters employee additionally shared from the company handbook that tattoos are permitted but "must be covered" at all times. "If you choose to get a piercing or tattoo during your employment you will not be able to work until it's covered or removed," she recited.
Another former server confirmed this rule and explained how she dealt with it first-hand. "Every day, I had to cover my tattoos," she recalled. "If makeup was coming off of the tattoo, I'd have to go to the back and apply more."
They are not supposed to touch the customers
You can probably guess that the customers are not supposed to touch the servers, but the rule goes both ways. One server explained in a Cosmo article that the only time a Hooters worker is supposed to touch a customer is during photos. "This one girl that I used to work with would sit on the customers' laps, which is forbidden. You're not supposed to touch them, unless it's a hand around the waist in a photo," she said.
A previous version of this article was published in Sept. 2022. It has been updated with new information.
