Alert – Hooters restaurants slashed by a quarter as dozens more locations axed

Hooters has abruptly shuttered at least 30 locations in the US months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The restaurant chain suddenly closed the company-owned restaurants across multiple states on Wednesday.

There are now 305 Hooters restaurants across the US, down from around 420 at its peak.  

The recent closures were in states including Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

The brand revealed it was a ‘difficult decision’ but insisted it was ‘here to stay’ despite suffering from longtime financial troubles.

‘Hooters will be well-positioned to continue our iconic legacy under a pure franchise business model,’ a Hooters spokesperson told DailyMail.com.

‘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.’

The 42-year-old chain known for its chicken wings and its waitresses has shuttered dozens of restaurants in the last year.

Hooters has abruptly shuttered at least 30 locations in the US months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection (Pictured: A location in Tallahassee) 

The chain is known for its scantily-clad waitresses

Of the 305 Hooters restaurants still open, 151 are company owned and 154 are franchise-operated locations. 

Created by six businessmen, a noticeable feature at all restaurants is scantily- dressed servers.

Co-founder Ed Droste selected Lynne Austin to be the original Hooters girl, and the number of women representing the chain grew from there.

The restaurant chain reached its peak in popularity in the 1990s and steadily expanded its number of locations during that time.

It also introduced a variety of bathing-suit-required events, including the annual Miss Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant.

These events and scandalous s were not enough to stop its downfall, which became noticeable in 2017 due to declining US sales.

Around 40 locations shuttered in 2024, and the chain closed one of its Hoots Wings spin-off restaurants earlier this year.

Once its bankruptcy filing plans were set in motion, the chain began a restructuring plan, which included axing its famous ‘bikini nights.’

The restaurant chain suddenly closed the company-owned restaurants across multiple states on Wednesday 

The 42-year-old chain is operating 305 restaurants while having $376 million in debt

The chain, which has $376 million in debt, is expected to close more restaurants, and its intellectual property could potentially be bought by Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer brand.

Hooters is not the only restaurant chain to have filed for bankruptcy protection this year.

On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina announced it would close 76 restaurants after filing for bankruptcy weeks before Hooters.

Bar Louie filed a few days before Hooters for the second time in five years, and closed locations in Ohio, Michigan, and New Jersey before doing so.

Small chains like Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries and Planta have also sparked mass closure fears.

Other restaurant chains have closed multiple locations, including Red Robin, Noodles & Company, and Jack in the Box.