After years of profiting off cleavage and tight shorts, former Hooters CEO Sal Melilli now finds himself on the other side of the stage—pole dancing to pay the bills.

With Hooters bankrupt, Melilli has taken up work at The Spicy Rooster Gentleman’s Club, where he struggles to sell the very thing he once overlooked—his own “chicken thighs.”

“I used to tell my employees, ‘Smile big, work those tips,’” he admitted. “Now I’m the one trying to make eye contact while doing a sad little shimmy.”

Club patrons haven’t been impressed.

“The guy walks out, slowly unbuttons his dress shirt, then starts pitching a franchise investment opportunity,” said one disappointed customer. “Nobody wants to see that.”

Despite decades of judging others’ “Hooters potential,” Melilli has learned some hard truths:

• Thighs don’t sell like breasts. (Customers prefer a different cut of meat.)

• Confidence only works if someone wants to see you. (Turns out, nobody’s here for ‘Dad Bod Energy.’)

• Heels are harder than they look. (He switched back to Oxfords after 12 minutes.)

As of press time, former Hooters waitresses were seen tipping generously—just to watch him suffer.