Hooters restaurants are widely known for the Owl mascot, chicken wings, and their iconic girls. These iconic girls are known as “Hooters Girls” and a Hooters Girl uniform consists of “white Hooters tank top, orange shorts, suntan hose, white socks, solid white shoes, brown Hooters pouch, name‐tag and of course ... a smile!” As part of its business model, Hooters only hires female servers and openly admits the aspect of “female sex appeal.” These all-American Hooters Girls are the backbone of the Hooters concept. Part of their job is to make promotional and public appearances in their appropriate communities. Hooters will only hire women who they think is the best representation of a Hooters Girl. Hooters has prepared detailed guidelines …show more content…
on its website about hair, eyes, skin, makeup, and exercise that makes up a Hooters Girl. In order to be consistent with maintaining the image of a Hooters Girl, all female wait staff are required to attend image classes and pass an image test. Hooters was on the lookout to hire attractive, voluptuously figured young women for the work of a server, hostess and/or bartender.
It's said that the brand of Hooters included “wholesome, all-American sex appeal” and a fun environment that was different from its competitors. But Hooters has seen a decrease in millennials entering their restaurants. They have been trying attract more millennials into their restaurants by changing their decor and new menu items. Another issue is that many have argued that the foundations of the Hooters brand has created a discriminatory and hostile work environment for their workers. Hooters has faced several legal disputes regarding their employment process and human resource …show more content…
policies. Hooters has more than 430 restaurants open in 43 U.S. States and 28 international locations. In the past, Hooters was only focused on beer, wings, sports, and Hooters Girls. This strategy would only appeal to certain customer base-the same customer base. Currently, Hooters is aiming to expand its current customer base by offering more menu items, deals, and becoming more family friendly. They will focus on attracting men, women, kids, and teens. Hooters’ competition with casual dining are restaurants like Applebee’s, Twin Peaks, Buffalo Wild Wings, T.G.I. Fridays, Tilted Kilts, and Mug and Jugs. Other competitors entered into the market that built their own version of Hooters business model. These newly formed “breastaurants” also capitalize on attractive, young female workers in revealing uniforms and sex appeal. It’s not surprising that over 80% of their customers are male. But Hooters’ has a better advantage than the rest of breastaurants because they created the brand. Customers know the iconic owl and Hooters Girl. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the federal agency that is in charge of ensuring that companies comply to federal equal employment laws.
In the early 1990s, the EEOC opened an investigation of Hooters concerning whether the company was violating the civil rights of its workers. EEOC investigators decided that Hooters’ employment practices did violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of gender. The EEOC presented that ‘Hooters’ business is about serving food, and that no physical trait distinctive to women or men is required to serve food and drinks to customers at a restaurant.’ The EEOC then continued toward settlement for the sake of all the males who were not successful in obtaining jobs at Hooters as waiters, hosts, or bartenders. During the EEOC case against Hooters, four male job applicants who weren’t given employment opportunity filed a lawsuit against Hooters alleging unlawful discrimination. In Hooters’ defense, the Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) allowed being female to be a legitimate requirement for the job of a Hooters Girl. It was later declared that Hooters was unlawful for discriminating against males who applied for jobs as servers, hosts, and bartenders. Hooters eventually opened up a few positions to
men. On top of unfair hiring processes, Hooters had been charged with creating a sexually intrusive environment that failed to protect workers from harassment. Hooters admits that jokes and sexual harassment happens in the workplace, but they claim that they do not promote sexual harassment and it is not a surprise to any employee. As a matter of fact, before a Hooters Girls begin working, they are required to sign this statement: “I hereby acknowledge and affirm that the Hooters Concept is based on female sex appeal and that the work environment is one is which joking and innuendo based on female sex appeal is commonplace.” Requiring employees to sign this statement meant that Hooters failed to provide employees with proper protection from sexual harassment and forced its employees to willingly give up their civil right to be free from harassment as a condition of employment. Hooters gained publicity when their girls would assisted at tournaments, marathons, football and baseball games, automobile races and other occasions. Hooters has ‘sponsored promotional events for veterans and service members, such as sending Hooters Calendar Girls to visit American troops abroad and offering discounts to veterans.’ Hooters has gained publicity through community service campaigns. They engaged in fundraisers and donated half of the revenue to schools for underprivileged children. Hooters also raised money for community and youth sports programs and specifically targeting young female athletes. But not all Hooters publicity has been positive. In attempt to retaliate against the EEOC, Hooters created a campaign with a male in a Hooters Girl uniform, titled “What’s wrong with his picture?” The excessive amount of government interference with this campaign jeopardized Hooters as a business and all of its employees. Hooters has had a long struggle between having a sexy image versus being a family friendly restaurant. During its hiring process, Hooters argued that the business concept relied on female sex appeal but when Hooters expanded across the country, it promoted its business as a family friendly restaurant, leaving out hard liquor and implementing a children’s menu. Terry Marks should continue to focus on being a family friendly restaurant. Hooters should stray from its sex appeal business model and reach out to more women and families. Implementing this new business model will make Hooters more enjoyable for everyone.
Chick-fil-A recognizes that their brand promise starts the minute the customer enters the premises. When a store opens for the first time, the franchised operator doesn’t just see an opportunity to sell his food product, but rather a “chance to interact, build community, and engage with customers and the community at large. We do this in a variety of ways. First and foremost, we strive to provide 2nd Mile Service to each customer. As we work to continuously improve, we want customers to experience something unique. We want to build community and create relationships between our customers and our food, people and restaurants” [3].
One of the issues in the case EEOC v. Target Corp. is that the EEOC alleged that Target violated the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by engaging in race discrimination against African-American applicants who were interested in management positions. It is argued that Target did not give the opportunity to schedule an interview to plaintiffs, Kalisha White, Ralpheal Edgeston and Cherise Brown-Easley, because of racial discrimination. On the other hand, it argues that Target is in violation of the Act because the company failed to retain and present records that would determine if there was reason to believe that an unlawful practice had been committed.
Chipotle Mexican Grill is one of the most popular Mexican restaurants in the United States, which offers burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads. It is one of my favorite restaurants to visit.
Demographically Chipotle focuses the majority of its sales on individuals between 18 and 24 years old which is the same as Taco Bell (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2013). This could potentially be correlated to the on the go, fast paced life styles that is typical for this age demographic. Chipotle offers a customizable menu that that appeals to the young adult that is constantly on the move and have a tighter budget. Chipotle’s marketing strategies appeal to the young adult through their social media platform campaigns that gain the attention of the young adult. Millennials have had a large influence on the growth of the company that has locations “located at various location types such as end of row shops, shops
Facts of the Case: In 2008, Samantha Elauf applied for a job at Abercrombie & Fitch, Inc., who as part of their “Look Policy” prohibit the use of caps. Elauf, as part of her religious practice, wore a headscarf to the interview. She was interviewed by assistant manager Heather Cooke, who gave her a score that qualified her to be hired. Cooke, however, was worried that Elauf’s headscarf was against the store’s policy and called her district manager Randall Johnson. She informed Johnson of her belief that Elauf wore her headscarf because of her religion, and Johnson replied that headwear whether it was religious or not violated the “Look Policy” of the store. Elauf with the help of the EEOC sued Abercrombie on the grounds of religious discrimination. The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an agency established by the government of the United States that imposes federal laws that make it
The recent, dramatic increase in the number of EEOC complaints charging employers with illegal discrimination has forced employers to realize that they are exposed to increasing amounts of liability -- including punitive damages -- for remarks and conduct of their managers and employees. This increased liability reinforces the importance of effectively handling and responding to a charge of discrimination filed with the EEOC. By properly handling the charge at its early stages, an employer can reduce significantly, or possibly eliminate, potential liability.
I find it odd that they would patron this particular restaurant, but their presence helps to put me at ease. Maybe I won’t look so bizarre walking into the restaurant next to them. I open the door to a small room where Hooters paraphernalia is sold. Everything from T-shirts to shot glasses, all decorated with the Hooters logo. I have to admit it’s a good marketing strategy: this room is the first thing to greet a customer walking in and the last thing a customer sees on the way out.
Stephenson, T., Stover, W. J., & Villamor, M. (1997). Sell Me Some Prestige! The Portrayol of Women in Business-Related Ads. Journal of Popular Culture, 255-271.
Walmart, the world’s largest retailer and private employer, has established a highly profitable business centered on a low-cost strategy that utilizes logistical efficiencies to create a competitive advantage. Yet, to maintain this low-cost strategy, Walmart has engaged in ethically questionable practices, including gender discrimination in promotion and pay. While the Supreme Court recently ruled against class certification of 1.5 million women in the Dukes v. Walmart case due to a lack of proof that Walmart operated under a “general policy of discrimination”, overwhelming evidence demonstrates that gender discrimination is a persistent problem rooted in the culture of Walmart, despite gender-neutral policies (Biskupic, 2011).
In today’s world, the American still has barriers to overcome in the matter of racial equality. Whether it is being passed over for a promotion at the job or being underpaid, some people have to deal with unfair practice that would prevent someone of color or the opposite sex from having equal opportunity at the job. In 2004, Dukes vs. Wal-Mart Stores Incorporation was a civil rights class-action suite that ruled in favor of the women who worked and did not received promotions, pay and certain job assignments. This proves that some corporations ignore the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which protects workers from discrimination based on sex, race, religion or national origin.
The article displayed how Kroger, a major national retail chain, fail to comply with the federal laws and stop the harassment of a young teen employee in Little Rock, Arkansas. Following the teen’s numerous unfiled complaints, the EEOC stepped in and corrected the situation following a lawsuit against Kroger. EEOC claims the harassment had begun shortly after the teen was hired, and continued throughout her employment, without Kroger showing any regard to her safety. Faye A Williams, regional attorney of EEOC’s Memphis office states “Employees – especially very young employees such as in this case, should be about to report the incident without fear of sexual harassment.” Williams follows by stating “Further, companies must respond appropriately when an employee makes a complaint of sexual harassment.
As an embarrassed preteen girl sitting with her dad in a booth, I made a vow early on to never voluntarily step foot into such a restaurant that would force a woman to dress and act in such a demeaning way. Little did I know that at age 16 I would apply for my first job as a hostess at Hooters, and two years later be promoted to the infamous Hooters Girl. Just as my disposition as a white, middle-class, female initially sparked my prejudice against the entire establishment, it also largely affected the percentage of tips received based upon the guests and my experience at the restaurant as a whole. While obviously gender was not as a defining factor in being a Hooters Girl, a girl’s class and race-ethnicity afforded some a certain level of
Discrimination continues to run rampant throughout organizations in both the United States and worldwide. The Supreme Court case, Dukes vs. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., dealt with 1.5 million current and former female Wal-Mart employees that claim that they had been a victim of gender discrimination. The ensuing pages will discuss the specific issues that the plaintiffs encountered, followed by suggestions from a human resource manager’s stand point in rectifying adverse impact within the Wal-Mart organization.
Throughout the years the United States has faced many challenges with equal employment opportunities for everyone. The United States has developed The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, also known as the EEOC, to enforce laws that help prevent everyone from being treated unfairly when it comes to employment options. The EEOC has established stipulations and overlooks all of the federal equal employment opportunity regulations, practices and policies (“Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination Questions and Answers”). Some laws that have been passed are the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. Although some discrimination is still a problem, all of these laws have helped the United States citizens become treated more equally in the work force.
Harassment and discrimination can affect a business in many ways. Having a history of harassment and discrimination claims can damage a business’ reputation and affect its bottom line. It can cost the business current and future clients as well as investors and employees. Depending on the gravity of the claim(s), the process of settling the claim(s) can take anywhere from months to years. Meanwhile, the cost of the settlement and other fees continue to add up. A business might have to compensate the affected parties besides paying court fees and lawyers. The EEOC has seen a rise in monetary rewards from 7.5 million to 24.3 million (Glazer, 1996) However, all of these can be avoided by properly educating employers and employees about their rights and what harassment and discrimination entails.