Hooters has reportedly backtracked on its new uniform policy following a number of employees taking to social media to complain about the new shorts.
Last week, the social media platform TikTok was flooded with videos from Hooters employees showcasing the new shorts they had been told to wear as part of the restaurant's new uniform policy.
While some users compared the old shorts to the new shorts, others even went as far as to compare them to "underwear".
For example, 22-year-old Hooters bartender Kirsten Songer took to TikTok to share a before-and-after clip with her followers, in which she says: "So, this is what I’m supposed to be wearing... and I hate it."
Songer, a University of South Carolina School of Medicine student, adds: "The new black shorts... They do not have a bottom, they have a crotch string. So they sit like this... Oh look, a wedgie!
"There is no longer anything covered by these shorts. And this is what the problem with the new shorts is, this is why all of the Hooters girls are upset. Because this is not what I agreed to wear a year ago when I was hired."
In the video below, TikTok user @Lexiusxoxo shows off her new uniform, along with the caption: "soooo hooters got new panties. i mean shorts".
A third employee, @Gracie.Herrick, also shared a video comparing the shorts to "underwear". In a follow-up post, she addressed some of her comments writing: "for everyone saying the shorts aren’t different, look at the back":
Another employee with the handle @carrlee.j captioned her video: "Our old shorts vs. our new 'shorts' [...] When we get hired we are told to make sure our butt is covered yet they give this to us?"
The company even received some flack on its official Twitter page for the chain's mascot, Hootie the Owl. Despite not addressing the new uniform policy in any recent tweets, some Twitter users took it upon themselves to call out the company over the new shorts:
Responding to a pic of Hootie wearing some Crocs, one person tweeted: "Change the uniform shorts back. You are basically asking your girls to wear literally thongs. Swimsuits cover more than these new 'shorts' do. Keep your girls comfortable or yall will be the next chain restaurant to be struggling with a staffing shortage."
In response to the backlash, Hooters of America has issued the following statement to Insider outlining that the new shorts will be "optional".
"As we continue to listen and update the image of the Hooters Girls, we are clarifying that they have the option to choose from traditional uniforms or the new ones," the spokesperson told Insider. "They can determine which style of shorts best fits their body style and personal image."