Floridians rocked from abruptly losing their Red Lobsters last month must now deal with the latest chain to close locations: Hooters.
“Like many restaurants under pressure from current market conditions, Hooters has made the difficult decision to close a select number of underperforming stores,” the Atlanta-based sports bar chain said in a statement to Nation’s Restaurant News.
A list of closed locations has not been provided but local media outlets have found about 40 Hooters restaurants closed around the country, including at least four in Florida and six in Texas. One of them, in Lakeland, Florida, is said by locals to be the second Hooters ever opened, in 1984.
Over four decades since they opened the first one in Clearwater, Hooters has more than 420 Hooters in 29 countries, according to the company website. Some Hooters locations, including 15 in South Florida, are operated by LTP Management, a franchisee of Hooters of America, according to spokesperson Ilona Wolpin.
Which Hooters locations closed in Florida?
Comparing last year's list of Hooters locations in Florida vs. the current one, and checking Google listings, these Hooters are no longer open.
- 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.
Where is Hooters still open in Florida?
- Beachplace, 17 S Atlantic Blvd Suite 304, Fort Lauderdale
- Boca Raton, 2240 NW 19th St Suite 1101-A
- Bradenton, 4908 14th St W
- Brandon, 10023 E Adamo Dr
- Cape Coral, 3120 Del Prado Blvd S
- Clearwater, 2800 Gulf to Bay Blvd (the original)
- Clearwater Beach, 381 Mandalay Ave
- Coral Way, 3301 SW 22nd St Unit 104, Miami
- Daytona Beach, 2100 W International Speedway Blvd
- Destin, 15015 Emerald Coast Pkwy
- Doral, 8695 NW 13th Terrace, Miami
- Ft. Lauderdale - Cypress Creek, 6345 N Andrews Ave
- Fort Myers, 4411 Cleveland Ave
- Fort Myers Beach, 4411 Cleveland Ave
- Hialeah, 680 W 49th St
- Jacksonville San Jose, 8938 San Jose Blvd
- Jacksonville Southside, 4521 Southside Blvd
- Kissimmee East, 1201 W Osceola Pkwy
- Kissimmee West, 8207 W Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy
- Lake Buena Vista, 8510 Palm Pkwy, Orlando
- Lakeland II, 3400 US Hwy 98 N
- Madiera Beach, 192 Johns Pass, Boardwalk Pl W
- Melbourne, 877 S Babco*ck St
- Melbourne West, 695 Palm Bay Rd NE
- Naples, 3625 Gateway Ln
- Ocala, 2711 SW 27th Ave
- Odessa, 16070 State Rd 54
- Orlando Airport, 7222 Augusta National Dr
- Orlando I Drive, 8801 International Dr
- Orlando Kirkman, 5300 FL-435
- Panama City Beach, 12709 Front Beach Rd
- Pembroke Pines, 7990 Pines Blvd
- Pensacola Beach, 400 Quietwater Beach Rd
- Port Charlotte, 1360 Tamiami Trail
- Port Richey, 5336 Treadway Dr
- Sanford, 550 Towne Center Cir
- Sarasota, 6507 S Tamiami Trail
- Spring Hill, 3437 Commercial Way
- St. Petersburg, 4125 4th St N
- Sunrise, 3805 N University Dr
- Tallahassee, 2000 N Monroe St
- Tampa, 4215 W. Hillsborough Ave
- Tampa North, 13606 Bruce B Downs Blvd
- South Tampa, 4420 West Gandy Blvd
What is Hooters?
The first Hooters opened in Clearwater in 1983, the brainchild of six businessmen and 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 known for wings, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, and beer, the annual Hooters Girls calendar, the Miss Hooters Pageant, and for sponsoring NASCAR drivers. This year, Hooters is sponsoring Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports. The company also often supports local charities, sponsors marathons and contributes to local services.
It's 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.
Why did Hooters close locations? Is Hooters going out of business?
Like many other restaurant chains, Hooters took a hit during the pandemic and is suffering from the recent rise in food costs. Some of the biggest changes:
- Red Lobster closed nearly a hundred locations last month while filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
- The parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill,Carrabba's Italian GrillandFleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar closed 41 locations earlier this year
- Tijuana Flats filed for bankruptcy and closed 11 locations in April
- Burger King announced in May 2023 that the burger chain would be closing up to 400 locations by the end of the year.
- Appleby's announced plans to close from 25 to 35 locations in 2024.
- Cracker Barrel's CEO told investors in May that the chain wasn't as "relevant" as it once was and sales were down.
During the pandemic, Hooters pivoted to take-out sales. In 2021, Hooter of America (HOA) Brands CEO Sal Melillitold Business Insider that to-go sales were 30% of their business, up from 20% pre-pandemic, and the company was emphasizing their fast-casual chain Hoots.
Hooters has expanded in other ways. The original founders of the company maintain the rights to five counties in Florida and announced last year that three new Hooters were coming to The Villages in Central Florida, with another three opening in Las Vegas, according to a press release. There has been no word if the recent closings have affected that.
"With new Hooters restaurants opening domestically and internationally, new Hooters frozen products launching at grocery stores, and the Hooters footprint expanding into new markets with both company and franchise locations, this brand of 41 years remains highly resilient and relevant," a Hooters representative told the Palm Beach Post. "We look forward to continuing to serve our guests at home, on the go and at our restaurants here in the U.S. and around the globe."
Contributing: Wade Tatangelo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune/USA TODAY Network-Florida
