Hooters is the latest restaurant chain to shutter “underperforming” locations across multiple states due to “current market conditions,” the company said in a statement.
The company did not provide a list of restaurants that are scheduled to close, but local media in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia have all noted locations that have closed their doors over the last few weeks.
“Like many restaurants under pressure from current market conditions, Hooters has made the difficult decision to close a select number of underperforming stores,” the company said in a statement to Scripps News. “Ensuring the well-being of our staff is our priority in these rare instances.”
Simultaneously, Hooters said it is opening new locations in the U.S. and overseas. The company said this and the launch of Hooters frozen food products in grocery stores shows the brand remains “highly resilient and relevant.”
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The sports bar chain, named for a slang term that could be seen as offensive today, is known for its chicken wings, and, more infamously, for its “Hooters Girls” — young female servers and bartenders uniformed in micro shorts and low-cut tank tops.
The company has leaned into conventional beauty standards and sex appeal since its inception in 1983, creating a “Hooters Girl” calendar, the Hooters Girl Hall of Fame and the Miss Hooters International Beauty Pageant.
However, it has struggled to find its place in today's culture. Back in 2021, Hooters was widely criticized for changing its uniforms to include new shorts that were more comparable to underwear.
The company later said it would allow its employees to decide whether they wanted to wear the new or original uniforms.
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