NOW goes after Hooters for catering to kids

SFgate.com ^ | 12/16/10 | Bob Egelko

[NormsRevenge]

SAN FRANCISCO -- The National Organization for Women filed complaints against local Hooters restaurants Thursday, but not for exploiting its scantily clad waitresses by subjecting them to leering and groping customers.

The subject this time was Hooters' catering to children.

The restaurants in San Francisco, San Bruno, Sacramento and Orange County are classified as "adult entertainment" establishments but also serve minors, NOW's California chapter said in papers filed with police and prosecutors.

What's more, the organization said, Hooters provides child menus, high chairs and booster seats, and sells T-shirts in children's sizes that identify the wearer as a "Future Hooters Girl."

Patricia Bellasalma, NOW's California president, asserted that Hooters is violating state and local laws prohibiting sexually oriented "adult" businesses from serving minors. The chain is also violating federal employment standards, she said.

Bellasalma said the federal government has not subjected Hooters to the rules requiring employers to protect their workers from harassment by customers. The Atlanta-based chain has successfully argued that its employees know they will be working in sexually charged surroundings, Bellasalma said.

But in recent years, she said, the company has promoted itself as more family-friendly. She cited a statement on hooters.com that "10 percent of the parties we serve have children in them."

[NormsRevenge]

Oh my.
http://www.tiltedkilt.com/
On my list for my next Vegas soiree. Thanks!

[expatguy]

What is that???

[mnehring]

The food is actually really, really good too.

Also, check out The Flying Saucer. 200+ types of beers and very cute waitresses in kilts.

[boop]

Wow! Hooters used to allow cigars in their restaturants. Where can men be MEN?>p>
Answer: nowhere

[CowboyConservative]

This Hooters story belongs in the comic section. I have spent plenty of time in California including many of the Hooters located in the LA area, I have also been to the beaches in the same area, trust me they use more cotton and man made fibers at Hooters than at the beach and there are children at both, come to think of it the children used less clothing at the beach as well.
I will bet there is a law someplace that requires Hooters no matter what the designation to provide high chairs and child seats in their restaurants probably lobbied by the same people under a different but equally offensive organization.

[SIDENET]

Thanks for the dumbest post of the day and you have some tough competition.

LOL. Both funny and true.

[CowboyConservative]

Would you want to see the lady holding the sign in a Hooters outfit? Not even after an extended happy hour would that be appealing! Now we have the rest of the story!

[Persevero]

“:You’ve never been to a Hooters have you? They are dressed less provocatively than some G rated Disney characters. “

No, but I’ve seen photos (some are posted on this thread).

The whole point of the Hooters chain is sexy women in very scanty clothes. I don’t think you should be taking kids there. I won’t apologize for it.

You may go to a gymnastics competition and see similarly scantily dressed women. But the purpose there is athletic competition, not lust.

The intention and purpose of Hooters is clear (sexual titillation) and anyone who pretends otherwise is deceiving themselves.

[Persevero]

“Thanks for the dumbest post of the day and you have some tough competition.”

Insult me all you like. Take your kids to Hooters; take them to sexy movies; leave your porn lying around; have it accessible on the computer; make sexual jokes around them; wear porn-y t shirts.

I feel sorry for your kids if you do. But you will answer for it, even if they do suffer for it.

At least you can feel “smart.”

[Persevero]

“Second, have you been to CHUCKY CHEESE? “

I have in fact been to Chucky Cheese. Not my call, but there I was.

What is your point? There is nothing aggressively sexual about Chuck E Cheese.

[babyfreep]

“One of” your girlfriends? You go, dude. ;-)

[Professional]

Food is good? LOL, no, it’s terrible. There isn’t really a great place to eat in the whole county either. Pierce County WA, home of fat chicks and terrible restaurants!

The Hooter girls are soooo ugly, No, Pro, how ugly are they?

The Hooters girls and strippers here are so ugly you tip them to get a tummy tuck and a facelift!

[CowboyConservative]

I must have missed something in my travels to LA. The only Hooters I was able to grope a waitress in was in Waco Texas and that was after hours and far from her place of employment.

[CowboyConservative]

I must have missed something in my travels to LA. The only Hooters I was able to grope a waitress in was in Waco Texas and that was after hours and far from her place of employment.

[khnyny]

The minute NOW targets Muslims and Sharia law for stoning to death women, (and other myriad atrocities against women) that’s when, and only when, I begin to take NOW seriously. Until then, they can go f themselves.

This faux outrage over Hooters is laughable.

[markman46]

DA** NAGS have nothing better to do???

[greatdefender]

What is That???

[Amberdawn]

Funny, most posters on here say they support family values...

[BenKenobi]

Been to a hooters once in my life, at my best friend’s stag party. Not really my scene.

It was by far the tamest entertainment of the evening and that includes watching Inception, which is hardly an R rated movie.

Would it be my first choice for a kids birthday? No. But it’s hardly the case that it equates to porn. Sometimes a restaurant with pretty girls is just that, a restaurant with pretty girls.

[BenKenobi]

Ma’am what exactly about hooters doesn’t qualify for family values?

You have pretty ladies and good food. How many restaurants out there family or otherwise have pretty ladies as servers? I’d guess pretty much most, if not all of them.