Is Hooters on the Verge of a Comeback?

Some restaurant chains are best-known for their food and drink, and then there’s Hooters, which is most famous for, well, revealing uniforms and a somewhat raunchy atmosphere. Even that can have its limits, though: in 2021, the chain took some understandable criticism for a change in its uniform that made its shorts — already relatively short — even shorter.

As was reported at the time, Hooters wound up walking back that policy. But even in 2021, there was a sense of schisms within the larger Hooters community, not unlike the period in the Middle Ages when three different people each claimed the title of Pope. A Business Insider article at the time noted the presence of both Hooters of America (the company that implemented the uniform change) and the Original Hooters Group (which had the good sense not to try to make their uniform shorts shorter).

This week brought with it word that the Western Schism of chain restaurants may be at an end. That’s because Original Hooters — also known as Hooters Inc., and the founders of the chain’s concept — has officially acquired Hooters of America, working in tandem with another entity, Hoot Owl Restaurants LLC. What does this translate to for the average Hooters customer? According to their announcement, Original Hooters will now control 140 Hooters restaurants in the United States as well as 60 restaurants overseas.

More broadly, it sounds like the restaurant will be taking a back-to-basics approach. In announcing the acquisition, Hooters revealed a simplified menu with an emphasis on the chain’s wings and fresh ingredients. Also being changed: the uniform shorts, which are set to return to their original length.

In an interview with Restaurant Business earlier this year, Hooters Inc. CEO Neil Kiefer criticized Hooters of America for going too far down the road of revealing outfits. “[T]hey oversexualized the concept,” he said, and argued that Hooters works best when it is “a beach hangout place.” It’s worth noting that Kiefer’s approach has been more successful on a business level; Hooters of America filed for bankruptcy in March, while Hooters Inc. has been on track to expand.

Hooters Is Expanding its New Family-Friendly Restaurant Chain

The fast-casual concept takes a more PG approach to wings

“Our vision is about more than great food and service,” Kiefer said in a statement. “It’s about bringing people together, making memories, and ensuring that Hooters remains a place where everyone feels welcome. We’ve done this successfully for over forty years and are beyond excited to rebuild trust one wing, customer, and one family at a time.”