A former Hooters server revealed the changes to her job that, in hindsight, probably were tell-tale signs that the chain was struggling financially. Not only did the servers have to deal with essentially being entertainers to their guests, but their perks were allegedly stripped, too. One ex-Hooters-girl-turned-lawyer revealed just how much they were impacted.
What Happened To The Benefits Of Being A Hooters Girl?
Tampa-based Leah Fennelly (@leah_fennelly) shared an old clip she filmed during her time as a server at Hooters. She first shared a version of it in 2023, but the repost has since earned close to 200,000 views. In it, she sits down to eat her salad and explains how the perks Hooters Girls have come to appreciate were gone.
“Fun fact: Hooters used to give all the girls free gym memberships. We don’t have free gym memberships anymore,” Fennelly says. She continues that the company used to offer them free salads before that perk was axed, too. “So I’m going to have to pay for this,” she says, gesturing toward her salad.
“We used to have 50% off employee meals, but they got rid of the 50% off employee meals,” she concludes.
Was This Part Of A New Policy?
While Fennelly’s original post went viral in 2023, there appears to be no credible or official evidence that Hooters removed those benefits as a nationwide policy. On the company’s website, “gym and wellness” and “meals and discounts” are still listed as benefits for Hooters Girls, along with tuition assistance.
BroBible has reached out to Hooters to confirm.
In the repost, folks criticized the alleged move, with many saying it was proof Hooters was “going under.”
“No discounted foods for food employees is actually insane that’s actually the bare minimum at a restaurant some places I work would even give you a free meal per shift,” a top comment read.
A second user argued that the servers are of utmost importance to the establishment. “So in my opinion people go to Hooters for the atmosphere and especially for the waitresses,” they said. “They don’t go there for the food so in my opinion they need to do everything that they can to keep the waitresses happy.”
One user who worked at the chain years prior shared their own experience. “I worked at hooter in college 2007/8 and we got free gym member, tanning, a shift meal and tuition assistance. Every semester I sent my transcript to corporate and they sent me a check based on my grades.”
Many brought up Hooter’s financial struggles, with one writing, “This is how you know we’re in an economic crisis.”
@leah_fennelly Fun fact tbt #draft #hooters #hooterstok #restaurantlife
Did Hooters Go Out Of Business?
No, Hooters is still operating, but the company did file for bankruptcy in March 2025. It stated that it would sell its company-owned restaurants to a company backed by its founders. Not only that, but the iconic chain was undergoing a “Re-Hootering,” where they would attempt to be more family-friendly.
On its website, the restaurant has a page addressing the issue, titled “Our Future.”
“Hooters is here to stay, and with a stronger financial foundation and streamlined operations on the other side of this process, we will be well-positioned to continue delivering the guest-obsessed hospitality experience and delicious food our valued customers and communities have come to expect well into the future,” it states.
Fennelly Shares More Details About Her Time As A Hooters Girl
In an email to BroBible, Fennelly confirmed that the video was taken during her time as a Hooters girl.
“At the time this was filmed, I worked at a Corporate location,” she explained. “There are some franchise locations and some corporate locations, though now, corporate is who filed chapter 11 so there are some changes coming. Overall, working there had its highs and lows. Customer interaction could be very fun, except for the occasional rude customer.”
Fennelly admitted that the longer she worked there, the less tips she got and her income dwindled. Not only that, but she says the culture surrounding the restaurant was becoming “less fun and welcoming based on certain policies corporate put into place.”
Fennelly says she would go back working at Hooters if the company’s restructuring goes in the “right directions.”
“In its heyday, it was a vibrant, fun, economically thriving establishment, and it would be fun to see it go back to its former glory,” she says. “Until then, I don’t have plans to go back.”
She adds that the workers love the restaurant. “Hooters Girls are the backbone of the company, we genuinely enjoyed the job and the work we put in,” she says.