Buffalo Wings, Beer, Women, and Work
This week the new CBS Sunday night reality show “Undercover Boss” followed President and CEO Coby Brooks of Hooters of America Inc., as he worked undercover in entry level positions in his own restaurants. He cleaned up the kitchen in one restaurant, worked in the supply warehouse packaging hot wing sauce, worked as an assistant manager, and did sales and marketing with two Hooters girls offering free wings on a street corner.
Brooks admitted it had been over 20 years since he worked in a restaurant, and this was very apparent. He seemed surprised and shocked that anyone would be offended by the image of the Hooter Girls, or think his company was not pro-female.
Brooks defended the Hooter Girls concept and seemed to feel badly when a woman on the street stated, she wouldn’t want her daughters to work at Hooters. Brooks disconnect with his company’s perception and the company he thought he was running seemed real, and not just fabricated for prime-time television.
When a Hooters manager named Jimbo suggested the Hooter Girls working at his restaurant play the reindeer game to decide which one would get to go home early, Brooks looked nausated. Jimbo then placed a plate of beans in front of each Hooter Girl and they had a race to see who could eat the plate of beans first. The question I have for Brooks was why wasn’t Jimbo fired? During the big reveal when Brooks identity was disclosed to the employees, Jimbo was simply chastised for his treatment of the Hooter Girls and told not to do that kind of thing again.
To run a good business, it is important to have an understanding of all aspects from the bottom up to the top. Anything that looks like sexual harassment should be promptly investigated and any inappropriate behavior stopped immediately. My message to Brooks-Fire Jimbo!
