The hospitality sector is going through a time of economic crisis in the United States. The restoration industry has seen more and more locals being forced to close their doors because they cannot afford the costs. This time it has touched an element of popular culture, the well-known restaurant brand Hooters. The closure of its own restaurants and those that are in franchise regime are bankrupt, which has caused and massive closure, almost unexpected. Despite everything, Hooter maintains a positive attitude, with the intention of positioning itself among the most important establishments in the United States.
Hooters
Founded in 1983 and based in Clearwater, Florida, it is an American restaurant chain located throughout the country and outside of the; 29 countries and 42 states of US.One of the main reasons why the brand is known is not for the quality of its food, its prices or its short waiting time. Hooters is known to use the image of its waitresses, who have to wear uniforms consisting of short dresses or shorts, and also have to put their image for advertising campaigns.
Hooters in bankruptcy
The closure of 30 Hooters sites has been carried out, according to the company’s latest statement, for a number of reasons. On the one hand, rising price inflation has affected their ability to meet production costs. In addition, wages have also increased, and they cannot afford to do so. On the other hand, it has two external factors that have also been major obstacles; the aftermath of the 2020 pandemic and the decline in consumer demand. As an element of American culture, Hooters’ statement surprised the Americans because it had already declared bankruptcy in March, but never mentioned the mass closure of establishments.
Although Truump has tried to mitigate the effects of inflation, it has not been successful, and this has led to the closure of more than 1,000 franchise stores. Retailers have been seeing how economic instability has won the battle, but now they see that it is Hooters who can’t do it. The company stated in its statement “We are committed to supporting our affected team members during this process and are incredibly grateful to our valued customers for their loyalty and dedication to the Hooters brand”.
Hooter´s path
After 60 years in operation, the company Hooters has been able to understand the needs of US citizens and has created a synergy between that and its offer. It was so as positioned among the most chosen restaurant chains by the Americans. However, not everything has been nice. Some years ago, their popularity declined as criticism of the already mentioned waitress uniforms (shorts, cleavage and dresses) increased. Were they really necessary?
However, the figures obtained in 2022 gave it a break and positioned it with some advantage. Currently there are 305 premises; 151 owned and 154 operated by franchises. More than 40 stores were closed in 2024 due to declining revenue margins.
Closed premises
Among the premises that have been closed in recent months are some such as:
- Sanford, Florida.
- Orlando, Florida – Kirkman Road.
- Kissimmee, Florida – Osceola Parkway.
- Melbourne, Florida.
- Atlanta, Georgia – Downtown.
- Douglasville, Georgia.
- Gwinnett, Georgia.
- Valdosta, Georgia.
- Greenwood, Indiana.
- Rockford, Illinois.
- Newport, Kentucky.
- Flint, Michigan.
- Taylor, Michigan.
- St. Louis, Missouri – Downtown.
- Charlotte, Carolina del Norte – South Boulevard.
- Columbia, Carolina del Sur.
- Rock Hill, Carolina del Sur.
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
- Memphis, Tennessee – Downtown.
- Nashville, Tennessee – Harding Place.
- Grapevine, Texas.
- Houston, Texas – 120 FM 1960 W.
- San Marcos, Texas.
If your favorite Hooters establishment is on this list, don’t worry, there are many other food chains around the country and sure they have some establishment near you!
Want to know which other food chain is also closing?
