Oh, San Francisco. First they came for the Happy Meals. Now there's a battle over the McDonald's for the manchild: Hooters.
The SF chapter of the National Organization for Women has filed a complaint with the police department alleging that Hooters is an adult establishment that markets and sells to minors in violation of city laws. They point to high chairs, balloons, and kids' menus as evidence.
Jezebel points out this may be the first time ever that a feminist group has complained about a restaurant being too kid-friendly.
Before you dismiss this as the crazy hippies-by-the-Bay being busybodies again, consider NOW's point. Attorney Mona Lisa Wallace (cool name) says that in the many lawsuits the company has faced over their hot-girls-only hiring practices, the company has said it provides "vicarious sexual entertainment." But everywhere else they call themselves a family hangout. Check out this gem from the FAQs on their website:
Do I have to be a certain age to enter a Hooters restaurant? No, Hooters restaurants are family friendly and kids are often the stars of the show.
I have no idea what that means and I don't want to know.
Full disclosure: I have twice visited Hooters in my life, for reasons I won't get into, but rest assured my daughter was not with me. The service was great! I wish the kid who serves me at Applebee's (great, two dark confessions in the same paragraph) was that attentive. But the outfits, and the room itself, are not so much sleazy as tacky and embarrassing. You want to yell, "Hey ladies! The '80s called! They want their pantyhose and hiked-up shorts back!" Even the American Apparel-inspired '80s revival can't make Hooters shorts hotter. My local outlet has since been transformed into a vintage clothing store. You can sometimes see sad-eyed, lost men walking by and looking in, wondering where the ladies with the orange shorts went.
But sleazy, tacky, or just overly '80s, it's no place to take a toddler and no place to have a kid's birthday party no matter how much they love little burgers or big breasts. It's sad enough to hear your 3-year-old daughter declare she wants to be a cheerleader or a princess for a living, imagine if she declared she wanted to be a Hooters Girl? Still, you may want to stop in solo for some last-minute Christmas gifts for the tots like this:
Do you think Hooters is a family-friendly place? Be honest.
Image via SamsonLoo/Flickr
