Emily Mack
While posing in a bikini contest, Lynne Austin was spotted by Hooters co-founder Ed Droste. The 22-year-old went on to become the restaurant’s very first waitress… a gig which eventually turn Austin into a Playboy centerfold.
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Lynne Austin
Lynne Austin became a literal poster girl for Hooters in 1983.
At age 22, Austin competed in a Miss Jose Cuervo bikini pageant in her native Florida. Around that same time, six Florida businessmen were convening to create a new, highly sexualized, restaurant chain: Hooters. Naturally, bikini contests seemed like the perfect place for them to scout out future employees.
Austin won the contest — catching the attention of one of those founders, Ed Droste. She accepted his offer to appear in a billboard ad for the up-and-coming restaurant. That’s when Austin first donned the famous orange short-shorts and tight white tank top: a now instantly recognizable American ensemble.
Soon after, she agreed to work at the restaurant and became the first official waitress at the first official Hooters, located in Clearwater. Speaking to Fox News in 2018, Austin remembered the old spot. “The [Hooters] building — [there] had been about four awful businesses there. I think it was a biker bar at one point and a pizza shop,” she said.
She didn’t think working there would ever lead to a career with Playboy.
But in 1985, as Hooters gained success, the company put out its first Hooters Calendar. Droste sent the pictures along to Playboy, hoping to drum up publicity. The magazine responded, referring to Austin: “Who’s the beautiful girl?”
The next thing the waitress knew, she was the magazine’s centerfold. The issue was published in July of 1986 with an article about Hooters accompanying Austin’s pictures. Suffice to say it was great publicity — for both Austin and the entire Hooters chain.
Austin would go on to model in several Playboy videos and in 1987, earned the title of Playmate of the Year for the brand’s Dutch edition.
A Hooters Spokesgirl, 10 Years On
In this retro Hooters content, Lynne Austin showed off some of her comedic chop. While hosting Hooters’ weekly TV special, Hooters Movie of the Week, she becomes increasingly irate over her 10-year journey with Hooters which she calls a “delightfully tacky, yet unrefined” joint.
Reflecting in 2018 on her legacy with Hooters, Austin told Fox News that loved every minute of it. “I still do!” she said. “People still come to me and want a picture with me. And I’m always so flattered and grateful that people still care.”
Austin also commented on the allegations that Hooters uniforms are exploitative of the women working there. First, she explained that the restaurant was originally conceived as a beach restaurant, then went on:
“I’m a beach girl… It’s honestly hard to convince me that there’s anything wrong with our uniform. And we’d had nurses, lawyers, and I think even a judge who were former Hooters girls. Our accomplishments are remarkable. It’s way more than serving wings and wearing shorts. I’m proud of it.”
— Lynn Austin via Fox News
Outside of Hooters and Playboy, Austin appeared on Married with Children and Star Search. At the height of her fame, she married Phillies catcher Darren Daulton though they divorced in 1995. They share one child together. Now, Austin is married to a man named Ron Lacey and their share five children.
She is 61 years old.
Lynne Austin’s Instagram
Lynn Austin is active on Instagram, sharing lots of pictures of her current family. She also shares many throwback pictures of her OG Hooters family, like in the post above, captioned, “Hooters rolling up on 40 years…” She seems happy and proud of her involvement with the brand.
