Hooters returns – Hooters is rolling out more “family-focused” promotions and moving away from bikini-night-style events after founders bought back control of the brand following the bankruptcy and closing of many locations. The changes are framed as a reclamation of the restau
When you’re used to seeing “Hooters Girls” outside the door, the new banners can feel like a quiet change of direction. In Clearwater, Florida, “coming soon” signs have begun showing up on four shuttered Hooters locations—spaces that Duolingo appears to be taking over in the meantime.
Inside Hooters, the message is clear and deliberate: the chain says it’s pushing to be more “family-focused,” with promotions like kids’ deals expected in coming years. The company describes the shift as a return to who it has always been—while insisting it isn’t a rebrand.
“Hooters Girls” have long been part of the chain’s identity, with servers historically wearing low-cut tops and short shorts. Now. after a change in ownership last year. the company says it wants the experience to feel less like an attraction built around revealing outfits and more like a comfortable restaurant for families.
“Original Hooters has always been a family-friendly restaurant. so this isn’t a major shift. but rather a reclamation of who we’ve always been. ” said Michela DellaMonica. a company spokesperson. “Since we’ve taken back full control of the brand. we are ‘returning to our roots’ across all stores we now own.”.
The “roots” language has started to show up more publicly in recent days, as Hooters CEO Neil Kiefer speaks about what he says is a different standard now that founders have regained control.
In early 2025, Hooters of America—run by individual franchise operators at the time—filed for bankruptcy and began closing locations across the country. Around the same period, Hooters Inc., a separate group that included Hooters’ founders, announced plans to acquire Hooters of America.
The acquisition covered 140 of the approximately 198 restaurant locations in the United States, according to the company’s deal description, and the transaction was finalized in November.
Kiefer’s “reclamation” theme ties directly to what he believes went wrong with uniforms and promotions during the period that followed. Speaking to People on May 21. he said the restaurants are meant to be “a beach-themed place centered around the Hooters Girls. good food. (and being an) easy place to relax.”.
He also pointed to changes he said were made after the founders’ original vision was set in motion.
“They had changed the uniforms of the girls and put them in almost what appeared to be a thong,” Kiefer said. “And that was never the intention when this concept started.”
In an interview with The New York Times, published May 21, Kiefer said he is also pushing to end “bikini nights,” when Hooters Girls serve customers dressed in swimwear.
“It’s a current topic of debate,” Kiefer told the outlet. “You’ll never see one of those in one of our stores and, hopefully, we’ll get everybody in line with that, too.”
The new direction is being paired with specific on-the-ground changes. DellaMonica said the shift will include more family-focused promotions, including kids’ deals at restaurants in the coming years.
Taken together. the facts point to a brand trying to reset its identity after a turbulent ownership chapter—one that included bankruptcy filings. widespread closures. and a deal that brought most locations under founder-backed control by November. As Hooters moves from that takeover into daily operations. the company’s choices about promotions and dress codes are becoming the battleground where “family-friendly” becomes either a lived experience—or just a promise.
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