Restaurants like Hooters and Twin Peaks have long been controversial. Sometimes dubbed “breastaurants,” these chains got their notoriety for the outfits servers wear, which tend to be shorter and more revealing than uniforms in other chain restaurants.
Reactions to this concept, and peoples’ experiences within and around the restaurants, have gone viral many times over the years. One woman shared her shock upon eating at Twin Peaks, saying she was the only female customer in the restaurant. A Hooters server also claimed that someone working at the store could be fired if they lost weight.
Now, a user on TikTok has sparked a discussion after revealing a not-often-discussed aspect of such restaurants: The cleanliness.
Do these restaurants pose a health risk?
In a video with over 6.2 million views, TikTok user Sarah May (@sarah.m.wing) explains why she’s hesitant to visit any such restaurants.
“The thing that I don’t get about Ojos Locos and Hooters and Twin Peaks and stuff like that is that you’re bringing food to your table, right, but then you have, like, a**, like, straight a** cheeks just wafting over your food,” the TikToker says.
“And, like, I can’t get past that,” she continues. “I can’t get past the feeling I would get E. coli from just straight butt cheeks walking past my chicken wings. I don’t think it’s worth it.”
Whether one wants to eat at such a restaurant is a personal decision. However, whether eating at such a place is safe is an answerable question.
While servers at such restaurants are dressed in minimal clothing, they still have their privates covered by cloth. In general, passing gas through cloth would not emit the type of bacteria that could cause issues related to E. coli. Additionally, contrary to popular belief, pink eye cannot be contracted from flatulence.
Instead, what’s more important is how one handles food. So long as servers and cooks frequently wash their hands and anything other part of the body that touches food or a customer, they can minimize the spread of germs and bacteria.
@sarah.m.wing Does anyone else think about this 😭
♬ original sound – Sarah May
Commenters share the TikToker’s concern
In the comments section, customers and former “breastaurant” workers revealed their own, similar worries.
“As a former ojos locos girl i would serve food like i wasnt fighting for my life in the restroom a few minutes prior,” a user. said
“As a former twin peaks girl, trust me we felt the same way n genuinely felt weird about it especially when serving tables w families,” added another.
“But I have to wear a hat as a barista because then it’s not food safe???” questioned a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Sarah May via TikTok direct message.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.