He really isn’t that into breasts.
This week, a popular tweet incorrectly claimed that the closure of some Hooters stores was the result of millennials no longer being “into boobs.”
Multiple people spread the rumor, including the viral news site Daily Loud, which wrote, “Hooters is closing and’rebranding’ after a recent survey reveals that millennials are ‘not that interested boobs’.” The tweet got over 33 million views, 74,000 likes, and 21,000 retweets and quote tweets as of Thursday.
The “new study” in question originated from a 2017 Complex piece that utilized PornHub data. At the time of the survey, the adult video website discovered that millennial users were 19% less inclined to search for breasts than users of other age groups.
The chicken chain refuted the online-circulated fraudulent claims.
According to AP Online users, the rejection of the iconic company by millennials was due to their distaste in breasts – and not the chicken variety.
According to Complex, Hooters’ new aesthetics and its 2012 spin-off restaurant Hoots are a desperate attempt to attract millennial customers. The report also assumed that the closure of certain locations between 2012 and 2016 was attributable to the changing preferences of a younger demographic.
The bawdy restaurant chain, whose ’80s-inspired orange sports shorts and cleavage-revealing t-shirts are its best-kept success secret, was compelled to dispute the rumors. Stephen Brown, a spokesman for the firm, told the Associated Press that the ludicrous accusations have “no validity” and that the famed restaurant, along with its busy servers, “will be around for a while.”
On Wednesday, one of the chain’s Twitter accounts responded to the Complex article by writing “this is the most fake news that has ever been faked” with an eye roll emoji.
Concerned Hooters patrons expressed satisfaction upon learning the restaurant would continue operational.
“Thank God,” one user said.
Another user concurred, “Boobies are global,” to which the Hootie account replied, “That’s beautiful.”
Someone else wrote, “Millennials may not like boobs, but I certainly do.”
Sloan Miavitz, a Hooters girl, uploaded an Instagram photo of herself in a skintight uniform with the statement, “A new study reveals that millennials are still 100 percent on breasts, and Hooters is booming.”
As Hooters approaches its 40th anniversary in the new year, however, more sites are closing. Despite the fact that it may have little to do with generational tastes, the company has decreased from 430 US outlets at its height to a meager 312 by 2022.
According to Eat This, Not That, the coronavirus pandemic had a negative impact on Hooters, which was the icing on the cake of the company’s tremendous challenges. In addition to an out-of-date menu — despite the fact that chicken wings and beer are the staple meal of American sports fans — the chain’s repeated failed endeavors and shifting ownership may have diminished its chances of success.
Unfortunately, the titillating customer experience may not be enough to sustain the restaurant chain’s prior explosive success, especially if its employees are apparently dissatisfied.
According to a research conducted by the University of Tennessee in 2015, the sexual objectification of servers in restaurants such as Hooters led to body shame and subsequent melancholy.
Even servers have taken to TikTok to expose “creepy” customers and criticize the stringent clothing code, which has been criticized for catering to the male gaze. According to a 2018 story by Vox, the infamous Hooters uniform, which became the restaurant’s claim to fame due to the attractive women that wore it, is now considered “offensive” by some. Last year, the chicken restaurant unveiled new shorts — if they could even be considered shorts — that resembled undergarments and provoked waitress outrage.
However, no number of attire complaints would deter customers from embracing the vulgar look of Hooters. As long as there is chicken, beer, and boobs involved, loyal customers will continue to flood the chain’s front doors.
“Record numbers of guests are enjoying this week’s broadcast sporting events at our restaurants across the country and around the world, surrounded by craveable menu items, chilled beer, and legendary service,” Brown told the Associated Press. “Our concept will endure.”
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