Residing under the shadows of Pikes Peak for the last 18 years, the Hooters of Colorado Springs has seen hundreds of Hooters Girls come and go. However, one might be surprised to know that the Hooters of Colorado Springs possesses one of the richest traditions of Hooters Girl success across the globe.
The tradition started just two years after the store opened its doors in 1990, when aspiring model Leanne Tweeden sat down to fill out an application and was hired before finishing. Her tenure in Colorado
Springs seemed to set the standard as she recently has been voted one of the Top 25 Hooters Girls of all Time.
Leanne’s modeling accolades include Frederick’s of Hollywood, Venus Swimwear, and Playboy, as well as work on ESPN’s Body by Jake. Ultimately, she is best known for her work on Fox Sports Net’s Best Damn Sports Show Period, where she was a correspondent for seven years. Currently, when Leanne is not on tour with the USO, she can be found late-night, hosting NBC’s series, Poker After Dark. Though impressive on their own, her achievements only marked the beginning of a line of successful Colorado Springs Hooters Girls.
While in Miami in 2004 and fresh off a Top 10 finish in the Hooters International Swimsuit Competition, 4-time Hooters Calendar model Nicole Kelley met some Playboy representatives who talked her into a test shoot before heading home. They liked what they saw, and obviously so did fans. 
After being a Playboy.com Cyber Girl of the Week, they voted Nicole Cyber Girl of the Month in March of 2005.
The music industry always was a pull for former Hooters Girl Kaui Beamer, who appeared in the 2006 edition of the Hooters Calendar and is currently working on her debut solo album in Los Angeles. A former member of the Denver Nuggets Dance Team, Kaui’s big break came as a cast member of MTV’s hit reality show, Making The Band 3. Though ultimately not making the cut for Diddy’s band on the show, fans and producers both were impressed enough with Kaui to bring her back on a spinoff, Taquita & Kaui, which premiered on MTV.
The cover girl for the 2007 calendar, Aimee Chuhaloff has become one of the familiar faces for the Hooters brand across the globe. A staple in the Hooters Calendar, Magazine, and advertising campaigns, Aimee has also been featured in Playboy, both as a Cyber Girl of the week on Playboy.com and in the “Girls of Hooters” edition in February of 2008.
Andrea Brooks was stationed at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs and decided to get a job at Hooters shortly after being discharged. Today, after playing a supporting role to her real-life best friend, Adrianne Curry, on VH1’s My Fair Brady, 
with whom she also shared a spread in Playboy in January 2008, Andrea is eying her own successful career both in front of and behind the camera. She also hopes to establish a foundation to assist sexually assaulted kids, something very near and dear to her heart.
One of the most unique stories to come from the Hooters of Colorado Springs is that of Deanna Rix. A Hooters Girl for just a little over a year, Deanna relocated to Colorado Springs to train at the United States Olympic Training Center, after a groundbreaking high school wrestling career. Winning over 100 matches, all against males, Deanna was featured in USA Today, Sports illustrated, and newspapers nationwide. She fell just short in becoming the first girl to win a state championship, losing in double overtime in the championship match.
In recalling their time at Hooters, several of the girls speak positively about how the experience has impacted their lives.
“Hooters was the only job I looked forward to every day,” says Kaui. “It took me a while to come into my own, but [being a Hooters Girl] really helped me build my
confidence, my look, and my image.”
“I’ve met all types of different personalities from all over the world,” adds Nicole, who just recently left Hooters to finish up her nursing degree. “And Hooters has always reminded me to give everyone the respect they deserve. The job was never about me-always the guest. “
No one is quite sure why the Hooters of Colorado Springs has seen more than its share of successful Hooters Girls. “I’m not sure if it’s because it’s a military town or what,” states former general manager Mike “Boomer” Blum when trying to explain the good fortune of his store.
“All different sorts of people just kind of find their way to Colorado
Springs.”
Regardless of the reason, let’s hope that it’s a trend that continues for a long time to come.
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Comments
Nice article, those girls seem to have it together.
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