Going to Hooters for the food might be like reading Playboy for the articles. But while the food at Hooters is pretty good — fans will tell you Hooters’ waitresses are even better. And that’s why they have their own calendar. Deco Drive hospitality editor Chris Van Vliet is even wearing his orange Speedo shorts for the story.
It’s that time of year again when Hooters creates a calendar dedicated to the sole reason people go there. That’s right, they have a chicken wing calendar!
Oh what’s that? It features the Hooters Girls? That’s even better!
It’s lights, camera, action in Fort Lauderdale for some of South Florida’s Hooters Girls.
They took us behind the scenes of their annual calendar shoot.
Doug Vollmer, photographer: “The only thing that really changes are the girls. Everything else kinda stays the same.”
He would know.
Photographer Doug Vollmer has shot the calendar for 28 years at every location.
Doug Vollmer: “We go to all the regions that there’s a Hooters and we shoot the girls we’ve selected for the calendar.”
He says every year, about 3,000 Hooters Girls submit their photos to be included.
Doug Vollmer: “There’s only 200 pictures in the calendar, so you can imagine the competition’s pretty stiff.”
And narrowing it down has to be pretty difficult too.
Doug Vollmer: “That’s the toughest process when those 30,000 submissions come in, 30,000 pictures I have to look through. It’s tough.”
Despite all those photos, he says there’s always something that catches his eye.
Doug Vollmer: “We go through every one of the submissions and look for that certain something, that certain kind of intangible that really speaks to ya. Like, ‘she’s pretty, but that one’s got something,’ you know? You can’t put your finger on it, you know it when you see it.”
Some girls, like Allison have proven to have what it takes.
This is her sixth time in the Hooters calendar.
Allison Calderon: “I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of this process and every year it just keeps getting better.”
So what’s her secret to success?
Allison Calderon: “Every year right before calendar tryouts, I prepare, go to the gym. Once I’m chosen, I try to pick the perfect swimsuits to accentuate my body.”
And then there are the girls who are doing this for the first time, like Kimberly.
Kimberly Campagna: “The feeling was just like, ‘Wow I did it. I made it.’ I didn’t make it the first year, so it like pushed me to do better.”
And experiencing this with her sister makes it that much better.
Kimberly Campagna: “We both motivate each other, so it makes it a lot easier.”
To see the final product, we’ll have to wait until the fall when the calendar is released. I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait.
FOR MORE INFO:
Hooters of Fort Lauderdale
6345 N Andrews Ave.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
(954) 928-0026
http://hootersflorida.com/
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