Revealing requirements?
I often look through Craigslist food/beverage/hospitality job listings as a way of keeping up with the local restaurant scene, discover who’s opening, who’s hiring due to increased business, what venues have changed hands, etc.
The wording of the various job requirements listed in these ads underscores an astonishing variation of what constitutes “great service” as defined by different employers. Most high-end, chef driven venues stress the importance of experience. Diner and pub style houses tend to focus on smiling, personality, and great attitude. Sometimes the nuts and bolts of delivering service are considered completely irrelevant.
This ad is looking for a cocktail server in Old Town Scottsdale:
No cocktailing experience needed but you will need a fun personality, high energy and beautiful apperance. Please reply to this email with any experience, a recent photo…
It’s not very different from this ad which doesn’t even say what the job is but can safely be assumed to require familiarity with a pole:
Sexy, Petite ladies with an outgoing- adventurous attitude are what we are looking for. If you enjoy making people happy, making tons of money and having fun while doing it… this is the job for you. Please submit recent photos (face and body please) for consideration.
The Tilted Kilt, Twin Peaks and Hooters which market themselves as legitimate restaurants make every attempt to define their service employees as engaged in some form of show business:
Tilted Kilt is looking for new cast members. Do you like getting attention and turning heads while making great money? Are you extremely fun, active, charming, have a great personality and feel comfortable in your own skin? If so, you could be a perfect fit for the role of the Tilted Kilt Girl.
Because it is critical to the success of the Tilted Kilt, the image of the Tilted Kilt Girl must always be maintained. TK Girls must provide friendly, service to create an exceptional experience for all of our guests. Each entertainer’s primary objective is to make a connection with the guest so they will want to return again and again.
The Twin Peaks Girls are the stars of the show. They enjoy flexible scheduling, great tips, and second-to-none support. If you think you can work it, stop by you nearest location to audition! Dress to impress, and style that hair and make up; Twin Peaks Girls are always ready to entertain, and you’ll want to look the part!
Do you have what it takes? Whoever said you can’t get paid for something you love, never worked for Hooters! We are now accepting applications for our World Famous Hooters Girls!
Please consider my resume for your waitress position.
What are you really looking for?
Cheers!
Follow me on Twitter 
To view more commentary on this thread from LinkedIn group members click this link:
http://amazingservicereally.com/should-breastaurants-be-held-to-the-same-service-standards-as-other-restaurants-from-linkedin/
If they are in a “tipped” position, then the standards do not change in my opinion. Now if these restaurants would like to compensate these ladies at a higher rate for being let’s say “entertainers” or “marketing associates” that would be a different story…. Tipping is based on service, and service alone – standards may fluctuate depending on the level of concept (white table cloth vs. casual), however, as do the menu prices and thus the dollar amount of the tip. This may just be an opinion from a female, but my tip reflects the service always, regardless of dress code.
Victoria Epstein
Gecko Hospitality
Franchise Owner MN/CT/RI
Expecting good food service at a Hooter’s is like complaining about a lack of entree choices at Kentucky Fried Chicken! Come on, service is NOT what you are going to get. I had always had an easy time getting a job in hospitality until, that is, I “aged out” as only women do in the Industry. So, it is not just restaurants like Hooters, etc. Good looks are a standard requirement now in the food and wine business.( The thought being you can train a cute girl in service, but you can’t train a homely girl to be cute?). In NYC one of the restaurants in the Village raced to the top of the press and public opinion, and the reason? They were known to hire only beautiful gay men. Really good looking. And most were good waiters from the reviews. But was it fair hiring practices? For me, as the first time in decades, I stand on the outside of the restaurant world, it seems fairness has no business in the retaurant business. Were any of them Government agencies, we would be angry at such corruption and elitism.
I have always liked the food at Hooters but, as a female, I have never been given good service of any kind except when I am in the company of men. Its too bad when the dining experience is disturbed by bubbleheaded waitressess who cater only to men. Makes me wonder what they are really selling.
I haven’t been back in years because of this.