Florida-based restaurant chain Hooters abruptly closed over 30 locations across multiple states, including six in Florida.
These new closures come after the chain filed for bankruptcy back in March. Hooters told USA TODAY on June 4 that the closed stores were company-owned and called the decision to close them a “difficult one.”
“Hooters will be well-positioned to continue our iconic legacy under a pure franchise business model,” the company said. “We are committed to supporting our impacted team members throughout this process and are incredibly grateful to our valued customers for their loyalty and dedication to the Hooters brand.”
Following the closures, Hooters Inc. and Hoot Owl Restaurants LLC (the Buyer group) released a statement saying both parties still expect approximately 200 domestic and 60 international Hooters restaurants to remain open.
They reiterated that the restructuring transactions allow the Buyer Group to acquire more than 100 HOA-owned restaurants and are still proceeding as contemplated.
“We are confident that the acquisition will be finalized later this summer and we are excited to move forward into the next chapter of the Hooters brand,” Neil Kiefer, CEO of Hooters Inc. on behalf of the Buyer Group. “The Buyer Group has been extremely impressed with the restaurant-level employees of the restaurants they are acquiring and are excited to welcome them into the Hooters Inc. and Attila Wings organizations.”
The following locations were confirmed by the USA TODAY Network to be closed:
The chain also closed four Florida locations last year:
According to company lore, the first Hooters opened in Clearwater in 1983, when “six businessmen with no restaurant experience whatsoever got together to open a place they couldn’t get kicked out of.”
At its height, it was the largest chain in the “brestaurant” genre of restaurants that advertise attractive waitresses in tight shirts and shorts.
“Hooters Girls” wear white tank tops with the “Hootie the Owl” logo and short orange shorts, plus tan pantyhose and reflect what an old version of the employees’ handbook (published by the Smoking Gun) called “the look of the ‘All American Cheerleader, Surfer, Girl Next Door.”
Hooters is renowned for wings, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, and beer, the annual Hooters Girls calendar and the Miss Hooters Pageant. The chain once had more than 430 locations worldwide, a casino hotel in Las Vegas, a TV show, and even an airline called “Hooters Air.”
Hooters is also famous for multiple lawsuits over discriminatory hiring practices and for going through a long list of owners. Most recently, in 2019, Hooters was sold to Nord Bay Capital and TriArtisan Capital Advisors.
The chain has had a rocky few years, with the loss of walk-in traffic during the pandemic and rising food costs. Last year, Hooters shuttered at least 40 locations nationwide, including four in Florida. One of them, in Lakeland, was said by locals to have been the second Hooters ever opened, in 1984.
“Like many restaurants under pressure from current market conditions, Hooters has made the difficult decision to close a select number of underperforming stores,” Hooters of America said at the time in a statement to Nation’s Restaurant News.
However, Hooters Inc., which markets itself under originalhooters.com, owns and operates 13 locations in the Tampa area and 13 more in the Chicago area.
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Beachplace, 17 S Atlantic Blvd Suite 304, Fort Lauderdale
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Boca Raton, 2240 NW 19th St Suite 1101-A
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Bradenton, 4908 14th St W
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Brandon, 10023 E Adamo Dr
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Cape Coral, 3120 Del Prado Blvd S
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Clearwater, 2800 Gulf to Bay Blvd (the original)
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Clearwater Beach, 381 Mandalay Ave
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Coral Way, 3301 SW 22nd St Unit 104, Miami
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Daytona Beach, 2100 W International Speedway Blvd
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Destin, 15015 Emerald Coast Pkwy
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Doral, 8695 NW 13th Terrace, Miami
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Ft. Lauderdale – Cypress Creek, 6345 N Andrews Ave
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Fort Myers, 4411 Cleveland Ave
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Fort Myers Beach, 4411 Cleveland Ave
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Hialeah, 680 W 49th St
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Jacksonville San Jose, 8938 San Jose Blvd
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Kissimmee West, 8207 W Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy
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Lake Buena Vista, 8510 Palm Pkwy, Orlando
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Lakeland II, 3400 US Hwy 98 N
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Madiera Beach, 192 Johns Pass, Boardwalk Pl W
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Melbourne West, 695 Palm Bay Rd NE
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Naples, 3625 Gateway Ln
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Ocala, 2711 SW 27th Ave
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Odessa, 16070 State Rd 54
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Orlando Airport, 7222 Augusta National Dr
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Orlando I Drive, 8801 International Dr
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Panama City Beach, 12709 Front Beach Rd
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Pembroke Pines, 7990 Pines Blvd
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Pensacola Beach, 400 Quietwater Beach Rd
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Port Charlotte, 1360 Tamiami Trail
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Port Richey, 5336 Treadway Dr
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Sarasota, 6507 S Tamiami Trail
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Spring Hill, 3437 Commercial Way
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St. Petersburg, 4125 4th St N
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Sunrise, 3805 N University Dr
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Tampa, 4215 W. Hillsborough Ave
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Tampa North, 13606 Bruce B Downs Blvd
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South Tampa, 4420 West Gandy Blvd
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The Villages: 700 Kristine Way (coming summer 2025)
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Wesley Chapel: 25245 Wesley Chapel Blvd, Lutz (coming summer 2025)
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Hooters closings come abruptly in Florida. Are any near you?
