Hooters’ founders reveal last-ditch effort to save brand by axing iconic bikini nights as bankruptcy looms

HOOTERS has revealed its last-ditch effort to save itself from the brink of bankruptcy.

The iconic chain plans to rescue itself by axing one of its nearest and dearest traditions - bikini nights.

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Among the plans to turn Hooters' fortunes around, the company will also use fresher ingredients and quicker service, Bloomberg reported.

Above all, Hooters is trying to change its image, instead of restricting itself to those who might be considered its core clientele.

The owners feel like things started to take a turn for the worse when its private equity owners turned it from a beachy destination into something far more risqué.

Hooters' roots lie in a family-friendly and light-hearted atmosphere, focused on good food and good service above all else.

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But in 2021, the company brought in new uniforms that looked more like underwear instead of the jogging shorts that the original Hooters debuted with.

The company also introduced the aptly named bikini nights, which saw waitresses serve customers in literal bikinis.

Hooters has always prided itself on walking the line between edgy and family-friendly, but a board cultural reset has made the brand look more and more outdated.

Neil Kiefer, chief executive officer of the founder-owned unit, HMC Hospitality Group, which owns Hooters, said: "I’m calling it a re-Hooterization.

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"You go to some parts of the country and people say, ‘Oh I could never go to Hooters, my wife would kill me'.

"That’s depressing to us. We want to change that."

The chain also faced several complaints from so-called 'Hooters' Girls' for the controversial uniform they had to wear.

A PANDEMIC RESET

Like many restaurant chains, Hooters was battered as a result of the pandemic.

The kind of pressure the business faced was the same one that forced casual-dining chains like Red Lobster and TGI Friday’s into bankruptcy in 2024.

Hooters shuttered more than 40 locations last year, according to food service consulting firm Technomic.

That brought the total number in the US down to about 250 from a peak of 400 in 2008.

Americans weren't rushing to dine out at that time.

Now, Hooters is re-thinking its main strategy that lies at the core of the operation.

Full list of Hooters store closures

The following Hooters locations have already closed:

Alabama

• Hooters, Huntsville, 4729 NW University
• Hooters, Birmingham, 1278 Oak Grove Rd

Florida

• Hooters, Gainesville, 3105 SW 34th St
• Hooters, Lakeland, 3437 South Florida Ave
• Hooters, Orange Park, 1740 Wells Road
• Hooters, West Palm Beach, 2020 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd

Kentucky

• Hooters, Louisville, 4948 Dixie Highway
• Hooters, Richmond, 241 Eastern Bypass

Georgia

• Hooters, Brunswick, 10355 Canal Crossing
• Hooters, Hiram, 5464 Wendy Bagwell Pkwy
• Hooters, Macon, 112 Riverside Parkway
• Hoots Wings by Hooters, Atlanta, 935 Memorial Drive NE, Suite 310
• Hooters, McDonough, 1858 Jonesboro Road

Illinois

• Hooters, Springfield, 3241 Horizon Drive

Indiana

• Hooters, Castleton, 6426 E. 82nd St
• Hooters, Clarksville, 941 Lewis & Clark Pkwy

Maryland

• Hooters, Baltimore, 301 Light St 1445

Missouri

• Hooters, Florissant, 2765 N. Highway 67
• Hooters, Independence, 19850 E. Valley View Pkwy
• Hooters, North Kansas City, 6411 Barry Rd

North Carolina

• Hooters, Greenville, 316 S.W. Greenville Blvd
• Hooters, Jacksonville, 463 Western Blvd
• Hooters, Charlotte, 123 W. Trade Street

Oklahoma

• Hooters, Oklahoma City, 13320 N Pennsylvania Ave

South Carolina

• Hooters, Columbia, 7711 Two Notch Road

Tennessee

• Hooters, Memphis, 7535 Winchester Road

Texas

• Hooters, Beaumont, 850 Interstate 10
• Hooters, Laredo, 5706 San Bernardo Avenue
• Hooters, Houston, 2519 Southwest Parkway
• Hooters, Baytown, 4710 I-10 East
• Hooters, Arlington, 5821 West I-20
• Hooters, Wichita Falls, 3701 Call Field Road
• Hooters, Lewisville, 1960 S. Stemmons
• Hooters, San Antonio, 849 E. Commerce St., Ste. 105
• Hooters, Bryan, 960 N. Earl Rudder Fwy
• Hooters, Lubbock, 4950 S. Loop 289
• Hooters, Galveston, 6028 Heards Lane
• Hooters, Waco, 3921 S. Jack Kultgen Freeway
• Hooters, Fort Worth Downtown, 150 Throckmorton, Suite 132
• Hooters, McAllen, 410 E. Expressway 83
• Hooters, San Angelo, 4384 Sherwood Way
• Hooters, Seabrook, 1818 NASA Road 1
• Hooters, Wichita Falls, 3701 Call Field Rd

Virginia

• Hooters, Manassas, 8503 Rixlew Drive

Mark Kalinowski, chief executive officer of restaurant-investing advisory firm Kalinowski Equity Research, said: "What was novel in the 1980s is a legacy business today.

"You’ve seen quick service and fast-casual taking market share from casual dining."

The plan includes a focus on the fresh ingredients being used, as well as a 60-second door-to-table service for customers.

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The PR sting from the Chapter 11 announcement hasn't done Hooters any favors, and the company is in deep and complicated debt.

How it bounces back might determine on how it finds what make it unique, without the skimpy clothing and "depressing" brand image.

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