How do you feel about serving couples? Is it a relief, because there's less pressure to flirt, or is it a drag, because you'd rather be charming a table of single men into a big tip? (But for what its worth, my wife and I always leave at least 20%!)
When a couple is seated in my section I do initially feel a mild sense of unease, simply because I do not know what to expect from them. Will the woman be territorial and hostile? Will the man be overly flirtatious and cause the woman and I to feel uncomfortable? Fortunately, in most cases, couples tend to be rather amiable. I suspect that this is due the fact that these pairs have come to a point in their relationships where both feel secure and confident in where they stand with one another, and the female can trust the male to be respectful to both her and their server. Were I personally in a relationship where I did not feel this way, trips to Hooters would likely be kept to a minimum so as to avoid aggravating these insecurities. In a relationship that is solid and contains a healthy amount of trust, however, dining there would not be an issue. Anyhow, I do find it to be easier to, "charm," a table that consists of men only, however, some of my best tips have in fact been left by the female half of a couple. I believe that some of these tips have been left as a sign of appreciation of sorts, thanking me for surprising them by my willingness to chat with her, rather than flirt with him, for shattering preconceived notions about what Hooters Girls must be like, and so on. Some of my favorite regulars and past customers were couples and I became fairly close with the female half of a few of these pairs. That being said, however, there is truly nothing I dislike more than waiting upon a couple who lacks the aforementioned security in their relationship. Dealing with a jealous, possessive woman is quite unbearable, as is managing an overly flirtatious man who has no respect for his partner's comfort. The worst, of course, is when the two combine and I must cope with an aggressively hostile woman and her lecherous partner.
