Ah, Hooters. My second home. I've worked for Hooters in South Florida for over four years. In those four+ years, I've been featured in the Hooters Calendar, I've helped out my community through the Hooters Promotions Team, I've seen many of my friends' faces plastered on billboards and on the tops of taxis, several friends have even competed in the Miss Hooters International Pageant, and some have place top ten, top five, and even won the whole thing! I've been on countless trips around the country and out of the country, and I even got to lobby Congress in Washington, D.C. to get a national holiday passed!

However, I'm not here to brag about my achievements, I want to talk about the owl in the room (Stop. It. Jordan. Enough owl jokes.) It seems as if everyone has an opinion on Hooters as a brand or as a place of work, but at the end of the day, it's a job, and many of the Hooters Girls that work there are strong-willed and independent women who are just trying to get by. We're your friends, your daughters, your sisters, your mothers, and we have feelings! It hurts to be ridiculed for where you work, especially when where we work is actually freakin' awesome. I mean, how many people can say they have a regular who's a former NFL player, and knows them on a first-name basis!? I mean come on, that is COOL.

But many people have opinions on Hooters and Hooters Girls that couldn't be more incorrect. So often I hear questions like, "So, are kids allowed in Hooters?" or "My parents/boyfriend/husband would never let me work there." or "So, did you have to, like, ~do~ anything to get hired there?" My answers are always the same "Yes, we have crayons." and "Oh, why not?! It's super fun and we make great money! It's just a regular job!" and "Uh, I filled out an application and had an interview? Nothing more. No funny business."

On the other hand, everyone also has their very own "Hooters Story". My first ever memory of a Hooters, was when I was about five years old. I was there with my family and I remember that my waitress had her Hooters tank top tied off to the side at the bottom, and I absolutely NEEDED to do that to my shirt too. Well, my shirt was small because I was five, so I couldn't tie it that well, but then my waitress brought over a white t-shirt with the famous Hooters logo on it for me to wear and tie off to the side just like hers. The shirt was more like a dress on me, but I was so excited to look just like the cool, pretty girl that served me my grilled cheese and fries.

So, if you haven't been before, I urge you to take your own trip to your local Hooters. Go in with a positive attitude, and be kind to your Hooters Girl, she's an actual person. And then, sit back, relax, and enjoy the atmosphere of the world-famous place that has been a part of American culture for 35 years. I guarantee you'll leave with a smile on your face, and your very own Hooters Story. After all, Hooters Makes You Happy!