Excellent Questions: Hooters Girls & Undercover Boss

So I'm still getting questions about "Undercover Boss" at work.  Generally this means I am asked, "So did you see that 'Undercover Boss' thing?" or something of the like.  Yes, yes I did see.  And yes, yes I did think it was contrived yet awesome but that's just me.  But you knew all this, after all I wrote about it already.

Anyways, I came across this video that interviews both Hooters and 7-11 employees (and random other people but it's still funny so that's cool) after 'Undercover Boss' aired.  And let me tell you it's pretty hilarious.  You should watch it.




And because this funny too, the outakes...



And yes, I did notice that the blonde chick has CRAZY boobs.

Hooters Facebook Response to Undercover Boss

I found this Hooters response to the Undercover Boss episode on Hooters official Facebook page (please excuse the screwy formatting, I copy and pasted and then got too lazy to keep messing with it).  I know that everyone in the world and outer space and purgatory and Istanbul has Facebook these days, but just in case I decided to just copy the whole thing here.  Besides it makes my blog look more awesome and official and full of legitimate content.  Anyway, here it is.  Please note my favorite part: JIMBO RESIGNED.  Fuck you Good luck with your further endeavors, Jimbo.

Since the "Undercover Boss" episode featuring Coby Brooks, Hooters President and CEO, aired last Sunday, we have received many comments and questions about the employees involved with the show. Let us fill you in:

Jimbo - Hooters of America, Inc and our franchisee Texas Wings, Inc., appreciate your concerns about a manager's treatment of Hooters Girls in Texas during “Undercover Boss.” We agree with those concerns and agree that Coby Brooks, the President and CEO of Hooters of America, Inc. would have dealt with the manager immediately except the CBS contact requirements and the realities of "reality TV" did not allow for this result. The Company believes that you are entitled to know the following:

1. Hooters of America and Mr. Brooks were bound by a complex legal agreement with CBS not to disclose anything about the contents of the show, including the name of the owner of the restaurant; Texas Wings, Inc. Coming out of the Undercover role to discipline the manager in some way would have violated the CBS agreement. Now that the show has aired discussion is possible.

2. The manager in question resigned from his duties as an employee of Hooters and has left to pursue other options outside the Hooters system.

3. Texas Wings is the largest franchisee of Hooters of America and successfully operates 42 Hooters throughout Texas. Hooters of America is confident that the Texas stores are among the best managed and most successful in the Hooters system.

Hooters has a longstanding and highly effective policy protecting employees from all harassment. Hooters of America and Texas Wings are confident the incident portrayed on Undercover Boss is in no way representative of conduct within the Hooters system, which employs over 25,000 people at 460 restaurants in 42 states and 27 countries.





Marcee
Marcee took her children and parents to Marco Island, FL for a week.
Here is a letter she wrote to Coby after her trip.

First things first. THANK YOU for the wonderful experience my family and I shared over our vacation in Florida. We all had a blast.

My girls had a blast on the airplane flights. They thought they were pretty special flying business class for all 4 flights there and back. They couldn't grasp the concept that we were flying to Florida to stay a couple days. They thought they were just going to fly to Florida and then immediately home. They filled up on cookies and sodas the whole way to Florida and back home which made for an eventful evening to say the least.

We took everyone on a dolphin explorer adventure that was fantastic. I have never seen a dolphin that close besides at a zoo. I felt like a kid myself screaming out where the dolphins were. The girls learned a lot from the knowledgeable staff on board. They even received a dolphin explorer badge which they were excited about.

We visited the Naples zoo where we saw a fussa. The Naples zoo is the only one in the SW to have one. Quite a rare creature as it is part cat and a few other animals which the zoo is not sure what the fussa is mixed with. If you have ever seen the movie Madagascar it is the deadly fussa all the lemurs are terrified of. The fussa's main diet is lemur which says enough.

We spent a few days on the beach collecting lots of shells in the early morning hours. We built many sand castles and quite a few holes for the girls to hide in. This was the girl's first experience at the beach and they found out very quickly that the water in the ocean is not the same temperature as the pool they are use to here at home.

The beautiful condo, oh let me say it again the beautiful condo we were fortunate enough to stay in was what you would see in a magazine or on TV. The views were incredible and spectacular. We could see everything not to mention the perfect view every night of the sun setting above the ocean.

We really enjoyed ourselves on the vacation of a life time. From flying business class which I know was a first for everyone to the beautiful views from the gorgeous condo we stayed in to enjoying each others company. I will always be grateful to you and your staff for helping me accomplish spending more time with my kids without having the worries and stress of work in the back of my mind.

Thank you again for your generosity. I will never forget this experience. 

"Hooters Rules" drawn in the sand.

Amanda and Brittany 

Amanda and Brittany on the sidewalk with Coby during the filming.

The Hooters Girls that helped Coby hand out wings on the sidewalk are at the Hooters headquarters in Atlanta this week working on Orange Pride, an internal PR campaign that educates Hooters Girls on the positive things Hooters does within the community and what they can learn from their experiences n the restaurants to help them in their future. Whether they become business professionals, community leaders or soccer moms the qualities they learn from being Hooters Girls will give them the confidence and skills to be the best at what they do.






Dave 

Hooters has raised $200,000 for the Tom Valentine Fund.

Hooters is currently raising money for the Tom Valentine Fund to support Operation Homefront. Dave will be presenting the check to the organization during the Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant in Hollywood, FL this July.

Undercover Boss does Hooters

So I watched Undercover Boss last night.  I figured as a Hooters Girl this was basically like homework for me; watching was not an option, but rather a requirement.  I mean if I hadn't watched it I'd probably spend all week explaining that to people when they asked me about it at work.  Then I'd have to deal with that awkward look of "what the hell" and find some sort of clever segue to make myself not look like a total idiot.  Way too much work if you ask me.  So I did my homework like a good little Hooters Girl and I watched.

Of course I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious.  Of course I was curious to see how Hooters would be portrayed.  I was hardly surprised.  The main point the show visited was the Hooters image and how the public views the company.  Naturally there was a healthy dose of "Hooters is degrading."  This is the same shit I hear every damn day.  Hooters is degrading.  Hooters objectifies women.  Hooters is a step above a strip club.  Blah. Blah. Effing blah.  Of course my buddy Coby, C.E.O, decided this has to change.  Newsflash it probably won't ever change.  However I don't really see that as a bad thing.  Hooters has a strong brand image and such a strongly defined brand is never going to please everyone.  What it does do, is a damn good job of pleasing its target market.  And if there is one thing all those marketing classes taught me it's certainly not that a brand needs to make everyone happy - it needs to make the target happy.  Ever heard of the 80/20 rule?  So while Mr. Brooks is worrying about changing the image and attracting completely new groups to Hooters, he'd probably be better served by attracting more of the types of people Hooters already attracts.  You know beer drinking, wing eating, hot chick liking people.  But what do I know; I'm just a Hooters Girl.

Then, of course, there is the infamous Jimbo.  Right from the start you know he's a douchebag of a manager because his name is freaking JIMBO.  Way back when he was born his mom must have thought "I'd like a white trash asshole for a son, so I think Jimbo will be just about right."  Jimbo certainly didn't disappoint.  If you haven't seen this douchetard please watch the following NOW.  Our lesson will continue after you've been properly educated.

Now that you know how truly awesome Jimbo is, lets have a little discussion.  First off, I have NEVER been asked to do anything remotely like this at Hooters.  If we're trying to decide who's going home we'll usually just draw nametags or get real crazy and have a hula hoop contest.  Heaven for effing bid.  If I were ever made to eat a plate full of beans like a dog I would walk my ass out right then and there.  If I were a customer and walked into a restaurant where girls were eating beans off a plate like a dog I'd walk my ass out too.  There is no way that is appropriate.  Ever.  Hooters even issued a memo to every restaurant about how inappropriate it was that was read aloud last week.  Hooters thinks you are inappropriate, Mr. Jimbo.  In my opinion he should no longer have a job just for that (yes, I understand franchise rules don't allow Mr. C.E.O to do that).  And that's before we even begin to talk about the way he speaks to his employees, but I could go on about that forever.  I'll just say that I would never work for Jimbo.

Beyond that I think the show was really interesting just for the greater understanding into the family behind Hooters it presented.  Obviously there is a lot going on there that the public or its employees will never understand.  Hooters is a privately owned, family company and the show made that very apparent.  While it shed a lot of light on Hooters, we'll never get the whole picture.

Oh and I watched the show with my Mom and her friend and I have to say she (friend here, not my amazing awesome Mom) is the biggest bitch ever.  She was the epitome of that "Hooters is degrading" opinion.  Of course, she's never been there because that's the best way to form opinions.  You know, by not actually experiencing shit.  Apparently the Hooters cliental is "less educated" and "lower income" and have "deprived morals."  Really, I never knew that?!  After deciding against slapping her "I work for the government and have great benefits" look right off her face I finished watching the show in my room.  I love people.