Waitress claims US restaurant Hooters put her on ‘weight restriction’

New York, May 21 (ANI): A waitress, who took up employment with American restaurant chain Hooters, claims that she was put on ‘weight restriction’ after she was deemed too fat.

Cassie Smith, 20, who is 5 feet 8 inches tall and 132 pounds, is well within a normal weight range, but she claims the measurements were not good enough for Hooters.

During an evaluation about her uniform, she said two women who worked at the Atlanta headquarters hinted that she needed to lose some weight.

Smith, who works at the Roseville, Mich., Hooters, says the women gave her a free 30-day membership to a gym and gave her 30 days to lose weight or risk losing her job.

“These women proceeded to explain to me that I had 30 days and they would give me a free gym membership, and if I didn’t improve within those 30 days I would be separated from the company,” the New York Daily News quoted her as saying.

“If I improved a little bit I would get 30 more days, and if I improved completely they would leave me alone,” she revealed.

Smith says she is “horrified” and “humiliated” by this.

Hooters has denied Smith’s claims, saying “no employee in Michigan has been counselled about their weight”.

The chain adds, however, that it “will say that our practice of upholding an image standard based on appearance, attire and fitness for Hooters Girls is both legal and fair”.

The company likens its policies on appearance to that of the Dallas Cowboy’s cheerleaders and the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.

Smith has consulted an attorney and may take legal action.

“I don’t want other girls to have to go through this. I don’t want anyone to have to go through this,” she said.

“If I could’ve gone back and not worked there for two years to take back that feeling, I would do it,” she added. (ANI)