Hooters restaurant chain, known for its orange bikini-clad waitresses, cold beer and wings, abruptly closed dozens of restaurants this week after filing for bankruptcy three months ago.
It closed an additional 30 company-owned restaurants following last year’s closure of 40 locations.
In a statement shared with Nation’s Restaurant News, Hooters said, “After careful consideration of what is needed to best position our company for the future, Hooters made the difficult decision to close certain company-owned locations, effective June 4, 2025.”
The chain stated the closures position Hooters to “continue our iconic legacy under a pure franchise business model.”
“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,” it said.
According to USA Today, the recent closures are in a dozen states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
When Hooters filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March the chain told CNN it planned to exit bankruptcy within 90 to 120 days.
Newsweek reports as part of its restructuring, Hooters is selling off about 150 company-owned restaurants to a buyer’s group consisting of current franchisees, including the chain’s co-founders.
The chain attributed the closures to several factors including inflation, increased labor and food costs and waning consumer spending.
Despite the closures and bankruptcy, Hooters has emphasized it “remains open to serve customers,” according to Newsweek.
