Life Lessons... at Hooters?!

“Like father, like son” is how the saying goes. If you truly know me, you know that the saying has a very direct application in my life. From our physical characteristics to our genotype, I am a lot like my father. One specific way that I am like my father is with finances. We both believe in the “less is more” strategy. We like to conserve money wherever possible – wearing more layers to keep the heat off in the winter, frequenting yard sales and the local Good Will, and buying food in bulk are several examples. In fact, last year I had my heating bill well under $30 for several months during the winter months.

Being conservative with my money has led me to apply to several restaurant email clubs. A perk to joining these clubs is that they usually send you free food around your birthday. Seeing as last week was my birthday, I received several great offers. I have already been to Black Bear Diner (a local place here in the Springs) for free pancakes, Ruby Tuesday for a free burger, Buffalo Wild Wings for free wings, and Pizza Hut for free Cinna Stix. I also received an email from a rather famous national establishment known as

(Sorry mom and any feminists!)

As I had a coupon for 10 free wings, I decided to visit Hooters yesterday, Thursday October 2. I showed up ready to watch some MLB playoffs and Thursday night football. Upon entering the restaurant I was told to “sit wherever”. I picked a table centrally located in the dining area, offering plenty of television choices. My server, Rossi, promptly greeted me and asked me for my drink order. The meal played out uneventfully – the food came out quickly and I enjoyed my 20 wings. My bill came out to $9.35 for the 20 wings and 20 oz drink (of which I got 3 refills and a to-go cup). Being a server, I wanted to tip well and recognize her for her great service. She had several tables to serve, but you would never be able to tell that by the service that I received. I tipped $5.65 on the $9.35 bill (I am OCD on even cash amounts) for a $15 total. I made sure to write a note of thanks on the back of the merchant receipt – thanking her for her service and letting her know that I enjoyed my first trip to Hooters. As she came by again, I made sure to hand her the receipt directly. Finishing the last sips of my Coke, she walked by my table and I flagged her down. I asked her if she had anything that I could pray about. She seemed mildly taken aback before answering that “… working here, sometimes I get stressed out”. As she was busy, I didn’t get the chance to pray with her in the moment. She did get me a to-go cup on which this message was written

Why am I telling you this story? Is it to sound my own trumpet? To let you know that I am a great tipper? To show you that I am super religious? The answer to all of the questions is no. I am relaying this story to you for several reasons.

1)     Treat your servers with respect. I think one of the reasons that she was so appreciative was that I was overly thankful. Every time she came by with a drink refill or to check in, I said “thank you”. Being a former server, checking in on unthankful tables can be a real downer. Seeing tables that appreciate you can make a big difference.

2)     The $5.65 tip may seem generous; in actuality it was an average tip. My food should have cost closer to $16 if I had paid full-price. Just because the food is discounted doesn’t mean that the server did any less work. Always tip on the full-price amount!

3)     Further, Christians as a whole have a real bad connotation when it comes to tipping. I had several coworkers whose least favorite shift to work was the Sunday lunch shift - because they got sat with well-dressed Churchgoers who did not tip well. We’ve all seen this picture of a tip left by a female pastor (the topic of another post)

 I have decided that if I cannot afford to tip at least 30%, then I should skip the service restaurant and grab Taco Bell. I’d recommend doing the same, both as a Christian and as a former server who depended on tips.

4)     I’m hoping that when she talked and interacted with me, that she felt respected. I respect Rossi as a human being; she is made in the image of God just like the rest of us. I saw several men at the restaurant leering and cavorting; I also saw some of the waitresses “playing it up” in order to get better tips. The Hooters logo and connotation plays into this theme; I wanted to make sure that Rossi knew I was not part of that crowd. I did not try to get her number (a crime of which I've been on both sides), even though she was gorgeous.

5)     Last, I wanted to show her a little bit of who Christ is. I didn’t get a chance to evangelize to her – it was not the right time or environment. I didn’t try to present an altar call. However I was able to give her hope, something that God has done a lot in my life. Hopefully she went through the rest of her shift feeling good about herself. More importantly, I hope that she realizes that God has a jealous desire for her.

Will I be back to Hooters? Overall it was a good experience; only downside was that the wings were small (similar to Buffalo Wild Wings). The sauces were good (I had honey chipotle, General Tso’s, and habanero bbq) and the price was fair. They have an all-you-can-eat wing buffet on Wednesdays that I may try next time, because you know I’m all about the quantity over the quality… when it comes to food, at least. When I do go back, I hope to sit in Rossi's section again.

-          Jeremy