For high academic performance, I gave my son a trip to Hooters, and now he is not going to leave there
A nine-year-old was rewarded with a trip to Hooters — an American chain known for putting its waitresses in notoriously scanty uniforms — after he did well at school.
Paul Edwards, 36, treated his son to a meal at the recently opened branch in Liverpool, following encouraging remarks from his teacher — and social media had mixed reactions about the parenting tactic.
His son, Buddy, didn’t believe the establishment actually existed — so his father decided to show, rather than tell.
‘He was a bit shy at first but then he loved it,’ Paul told LADbible. ‘The staff were great and so helpful, and the food was beautiful.
Speaking to the outlet, the father also insisted that Buddy’s mother was ‘cool’ about the endeavour, and even dropped the pair off.
The father-son duo are already planning a return trip because the schoolboy wants to watch the World Cup’s England versus USA match there on Friday.
Buddy clearly enjoyed his ‘dad and lad night’, praising the food and saying he ‘wants to come there every week’, LADbible reports.
Paul shared a snap of his grinning son at the restaurant on Twitter, where commenters appeared torn on whether the trip was a fun bonding experience between father and son — or ‘creepy as f**k’.
However, the restaurant has already become a hit on TikTok with people sharing clips of the female staff members breaking into song and dancing.
Gary Ousalice took to his TikTok account @garyousalice969 to share the clip which racked up over 1.4 million views.
During service at the bar, which is housed in New Zealand House, servers stopped mid-shift to suddenly sing their very own rendition of AC/DC’s ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’.
The clip showed the waitresses, who donned the infamous orange shorts and the white tank tops featuring the company logo, gathered around a few tables.
The girls then begin clapping their hands and singing while incorporating some dance moves as people eat their meals.
People rushed to the comments with many saying the scene looked ‘awkward’ while others claimed to have ‘second hand embarrassment.’
One person wrote: Omg this has made me turn inside out from awkwardness. I’m now on the floor in a ball.’
Another said: ‘Oh god… it’s all so tragic.’ While someone else said: ‘Why do I feel embarrassed.’
Others were confused as to why the waitresses all sang in American accents when they are Scouser’s.
One person wrote: ‘As in Liverpool uk !!?… so why do they all have American accents !!?’
Another said: ‘Why the American accent.’ While someone else wrote: ‘Do they get told they have to sing in an American accent?’
However it wasn’t just social media users that were hitting back at the new restaurant, Liverpool Local Council weren’t too happy either.
Maria Toolan, a Labour councillor for Liverpool, started a petition against the chain opening a franchise in the city earlier this year.
‘Hooters is an archaic and chauvinistic brand and this kind type of venue is no longer reflective of today’s society,’ her petition read.
‘Hooters employs women to promote its business activities in an exploitative manner, It demeans and degrades women and undermines female equality.’
But after being granted a license to operate, Liverpool Council’s planning department have rejected plans for the illuminated signs that would be erected at the Hooters venue, as it’s situated in a conservation area.
City centre councillor Nick Small objected to the planned signs, claiming they would be ‘belong more in Amsterdam’s Red Light District than Liverpool’s oldest conservation area.’
He added: ‘The proposed signage, banner and flag is bright, gaudy and not within keeping of the character of the area.’
In a decision notice rejecting the signage plans, a Liverpool Council report stated: ‘By virtue of size, design and siting, the proposed illuminated vertical signs, banner sign and flag would fail to preserve the character and appearance of the application building and Castle Street Conservation Area and the setting of adjacent listed buildings.’
Hooters — which has one other UK site in Nottingham — was granted a licence to open in Liverpool following a hearing in February.
