Hooters Restaurant and your own children.... (teenage, average, girls, clothes)

[Mrs.Bewitched]

Would you take your children to a Hooters Restaurant? I have two boys-12 and 7. We go out to eat quite frequently in the summer. They opened a Hooters a couple of months ago, and that is one of the few restaurants that we haven't eaten at (besides expensive 5-star ones). I'm kinda leery about taking them-my inlaws almost had a heart attack when I mentioned it. I have driven past and know it's mostly men there (it's also next to a Harley-Bike dealership, and the majority of the men seem to be bikers. I don't want to seem like I don't approve of them....it's just the whole male atmosphere around beer....with language perhaps....). The women do wear short shorts and tight tops. My husband says that the kids see skimpier on the beach....it's a restuarant and not a bar....I don't quite know why I am so leery about it.

Would you take your children there, or am I right to be uncomfortable?

[Prettygyrl777]

If you're leery about it, don't do it. Everyone has their own standards, boundaries, etc. for what's acceptable in their own families. I personally wouldn't take a 12 and 7 year old in there but that's just me. However, I've been to some sports bars in my college town (with friends) and the atmosphere, for the most part, was very family friendly because it was a touristy area. But on the same token, you can go to the exact restaurant in another area and get a totally different vibe. Go with your gut.

[OREGONRAIN]

I have wondered about Hooters myself in regards to children. This is what I have noticed, or what I have heard from people that have been to them. Hooters seems to be a little different from some places to another. They opened some in Portland, and one of them seems to have kids in them all the time, not much different than going to a Dennys. Yet some I have seen in the south, like the one mentioned with the bike dealership, seem to have a more male crowd, and I guess that is the operative word, just a different crowd. I personally would want to know what the restaurant was like before I brought kids to them.

[Delaneyland]

I see your point mrshvo, I'm thinking if your kids have ever been to the beach or watched a any of the $ex oriented television shows, Hooters is probably pretty tame. I agree with your hubby. Eat what you want, be happy!! A close friend of mine has driven school bus for 22 years and from what he's told me, Hooters is nothing compared to the activities on his bus each day.

[johnrex62]

I have never seen anything more daring or exhibitive at a Hooters than what i have observed in the Mall. In fact, the River Center Mall in San Antonio has a Hooters that is open to the mall concourse so just walking in and out of the mall at that entrance will expose the entire Hooters dining area to the visitor.

My experiences with Hooters is primarily takeout, but I have had opportunity to observe the patrons and workers in several Hooters over the years. Most of the crowd is college age to mid 40's and although mostly men, a number of guests are women. The tshirts worn by the staff are not out of character with those worn by most women in public except for the Hooters advertising. The shorts are mostly very tight and about the same size as most athletic shorts. I have not observed any daisy dukes or slit side shorts as I have on high school girls in the mall. The workers also wear heavy opaque hosiery under the shorts, unlike the typical female short wearer in the mall.

I do not know that I would consider Hooters in the same category as true family dining, but it is not much different than the food court at the mall except that there is no playscape nearby and the shorts are orange.

[Leana76]

Honestly, no I wouldn't take my kids to Hooters. I think it's more for adults and adult situations there (the bar, people talking dirty jokes, etc.). I like Hooters, it's a fun place to be and have some fun, but not really for children.

[emjbulls]

I wouldn't take my kids there. First, as someone mentioned above, it's more of an adult restaurant. Secondly, I want my sons to grow up into men who are respectful of women with brains as well as beauty. I don't think encouraging them at a young age to objectify women would be so wise. They'll get enough of that influence in the outside world, I'd like to offer some counter to it.

[MB2]

My friend took the "boys" (his son, a friend and my son) to Hooters the one time for some wings. (In TN)
They all loved it....and not only because the girls were pretty and fussing over them, no,...because they liked the wings so much.
Hot pants and tight t-shirt is nothing to be worried about, IMO. Some girls have less or more revealing colthes on at the beach or at the mall.
As long as they are not naked....

[Mrs.Bewitched]

Thank you for everyone's comments. I understand how some people ONLy go to Hooters because most Hooters do hire pretty women with nice bodies, and they want to ogle them.

The day I chose not to go, because I was uncomfortable...I tried explaining it to my children as to why they couldn't go (had already mentioned that as one of the choices and they both wanted it being as we never went there). At first I was fumbling with my reasons: the women wear small clothes and a lot of men go there just to look at the women in the clothes.

But then I felt dumb for mentioning the clothing, because my son's female friends, and any young girls at the malls/stores...heck, wherever we go....wear a lot less-cleavage hanging out...bellies showing....daisy dukes....and it seemed stupid because in real life, as someone mentioned, they see a lot worse. There is such sexuality everywhere...even in PG movies...

Needless to say, I didn't go...whether I was right or wrong in feeling uncomfortable it still didn't erase the fact that I felt uncomfortable...and no one should feel uncomfortable no matter what the reason.

[JBrown]

If Hooters was around when I was 11 I'd have been yammering to go there. For some young guys about to discover girls....why not.....you see more at the beach and certainly on the net.

IMHO thou the view maybe better than your average diner the food in general is very so so..... of course that makes no difference whatsoever to a girl struck teenage boy.

Take him and have a good time...in a few years he can go with dad and Al Bundy to a real T__ty bar...