We provide a lot of independence for our NORML Chapters. Personally, I don’t know that I’d want to hold my NORML meeting at a Hooters restaurant because of the whole “boobies and beer” atmosphere, which can be distracting for your male (and some female) attendees and offensive to some female (and a few male) attendees, but it’s a legitimate restaurant, it’s a free country, and NORML’s not officially pro- or anti-boobie (for the record, I am personally very pro-boobie). To be fair, it looks like JAX NORML originally hosted their meetings at the WingHouse, where, presumably, the servers wear more cloth than the tables, and had to scramble at the last minute for a new location.
That said, I think Hooters management is throwing stones from a glass house if they want to kick out a NORML meeting for reasons of morality and decorum. Not to mention the fiscal suicide of offending a whole segment of society very fond of tasty chicken wings.
First and foremost, our apologies for the confusion and inconvenience surrounding the meeting tonight. The WingHouse where we had the last two meetings closed without notice to us. We were able to relocate to the Hooter’s on Southside. They were all about us having a meeting there and let us get setup, order food and drinks… Then a few servers came over to ask what our sign meant followed by a manager who told us we could not have the NORML sign up or the sugn in sheet and literature lest “the powers that be” in his corporation have some problem with it. Apparently Mr. Frank Baldivino has a pretty low opinion of his corporation’s tolerance for free speech and a pronounced ignorance of the fact that almost half of Americans support total legalization and a grand majority support decriminalization. We cancelled our orders and left, quickly going down the list to call everyone who had traveled from around the county. We will be writing a very strongly worded letter to the Hooter’s, Until and if we get an apology, we urge our members NOT TO PATRONIZE ANY HOOTER’S LOCATION. And if this really bothers you, give Mr. Baldivino a call at 904-807-9544 and let him know that stoner’s do not support businesses that TRY to censor our views. And who is so dumb as to make lots of smiling, happy, good natured and HUNGRY people mad?!
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I have to say that sucks.But that means we need to get more involved in the legalization process of canabis.People need to be better educated on this important issue.
I’ve worked for Hooters for several years and have dated many of the girls. Its not fraternazation if you do not directly manage the girls. I just put a manager between them and I…… and it pays the bills!! I work, eat, and get laid all through this wonderful concept. I always get my bonus! cfatale@hotmail.com
Like “Sam J” isn’t the dumbest restaurant manager in the US himself.
boycott keloggs and hooters
But SamJ, that’s the point, that the restaurant would not allow JAX NORML their free speech and freedom of association. If the group meeting was a Bible study group and they put up a sign with a cross on it and the manager said, “You can meet, but you gotta take down that cross”, I’d be just as outraged. Sure, he’d like JAX NORML to stay – we tend to be a group that buys a few munchies – just so long as they don’t let anyone else in the restaurant know who they are.
As for “picture of the illegal drug”, are you referring to a drawing of a cannabis leaf? That, too, is the point of NORML – that the leaf in question is natural and should not be censored. It’s not like they had (I assume) a picture of a bong, a joint, or even an actual bud of THC-laden marijuana – it’s a leaf! It could just as well have been a hemp leaf of less than 0.3% THC for all you know.
Hooters has every right to present buxom young women in push-up bras, lo-cut t-shirts, and barely-there shorts and every right to restrict the signage of those patrons who display something they feel may hurt their business. And we have every right to point out the hypocrisy of using the sex to sell a drug far more dangerous (beer and liquor) while being shocked and offended by a leaf of a weed. If you’re agreeing to the meeting request from the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of MARIJUANA Laws, you might just assume they would display a symbol they are fighting for. Seems to me Hooters was more than willing to take marijuana smokers’ money until they saw those marijuana smokers exercising their free speech rights.
If I lived in Jacksonville, I’d organize all my friends to visit Hooters in pairs, stake out as many tables as possible, and then, after ordering the food but before receiving it, remove our jackets to reveal the large pot leaf on our t-shirts as we take out a copy of High Times and display it prominently as we read aloud from it. But I’m the type who likes to make a scene and get a bunch of free earned media.
Wow, talk about blowing things out of proportion! I was a patron at Hooters when this took place and I know for a fact that the manager only asked you to take down your signage. He stated that he would like for your group to stay, but you had to take down the picture of the illegal drug posted in his restaurant. You are wrong for turning this around on this establishment, and you wonder why people don’t take you seriously. Shame on you!
I don’t like it either, but I’m not really surprised. Consider what legal marijuana would mean to Hooters. We ARE the competition. I’m sure Hooters has absolutely no interest in seeing MJ legalized! Would certainly cut into their bottom line.
That said, they’re now on my list, right under Kelloggs!
Wow, not what I would expect from a company that makes money off of sexuality and a drug far more detrimental to society.
I’m from Florida and once was a huge supporter of Hooter’s.. Sad to see there is another business to boycott that I loved, but they made the wrong move..