Hooters heads for an upgrade.
After the recent announcement that Hooters of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of an effort to enable founder-led acquisitions and restructuring of the popular restaurant chain, the CEO of one of the two purchasing franchisee groups has digitally told Fox News Digital its plans to make Hooters “enable to mainstream society.”
Neil Kiefer is CEO of Clearwater, Florida-based CEO and founded the Hooters concept in 1983. HootersInc. owns and operates 22 Hooters restaurants in Florida and Illinois, with two more locations expected to open in Florida later this year.
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In addition to another franchisee, Hooters’ buyers group manages more than 30% of locations in the country, including 14 of the 30 highest volume restaurants, a March 31 news release on the restructuring plan said.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Kiefer shared how he saw Hooters, a restaurant run by America, which strayed from the original founder’s vision and made changes that contradict the brand. (See the video at the top of this article.)
Hooters restaurants can vary very differently from location to location. The new business model is about to change that. (Torin Halsey/Times Record News/USA Today Network)
“For over two years, we’ve been complaining,” Kiefer said of the iconic orange shorts worn by the server. “(But) we were standing there just complaining. We couldn’t control how (the restaurant) was run.”
Kiefer said that shorts, conceived in the 1980s, had a “more athletic look.”
“Somewhere along the line,” Kiefer said, Hooters of America “goed to the more prominent ‘shorts’.
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“You don’t want to hold your butt cheeks on your plate,” he added. “(The shorts) should be sized to fit properly. They should be less sexual and athletic.”
Alyram, a 21-year-old Hooters waitress and bartender from Boca Raton, Florida, said uniforms hadn’t been an issue for her since she started working there.
“It’s all covered,” Lamb told Fox News Digital. “There’s nothing you don’t have to go out.”
Hooters waitress Ally Rum, including iconic orange shorts located in Boca Raton, Florida. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)
Kiefer said the over-representation of Hooters, which has been called the original “breast milk,” has damaged the brand’s image and caused perception issues.
“I think that’s one of the mistakes people in America have made down that route,” he said.
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But that’s not a problem with Boca Raton restaurants, which are independently owned and operated by the original Hooters franchisee.
Hooters is called the original “breast milk,” but the CEO says the restaurant chain is much more than that. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)
Christoli, managing partner at the Boca Raton location and merchandising director for Hooters Restaurants in South Florida, said the announcement of Fox News Digital The Decruptcy initially led to several worrying messages from customers.
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“It gave us the opportunity to explain that we are healthy,” Torelli said. “We are a strong franchise, and all other franchise communities are healthy and strong too. We’re laying out what we need to move forward to make our brand successful.”
That means dealing with more than just a male client, between 18 and 50 years old.
Hooters has been in business since 1983 (Ernst Peters/The Ledger)
“We want kids. We want families. We want crowds of over 60. We want college students. We want all of them,” Torelli said. “The best way to do that is to appeal to all these different demographics.”
Some ways to revitalize brands include creating universal standards for servers and hospitality staff, standardizing menu offerings, and removing weekly bikini nights, Kiefer said.
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“I don’t want to walk after a small league match with the team and hold a bikini contest in the store,” he said.
Hooters also “get the original sauce at every store,” Kiefer said.
Hooters will now bring their original wing sauce back to all locations. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)
Hooters could take up to two years to refresh, he noted.
But the popular Hooters swimsuit calendar and the annual Miss Hooters International Pageant sticks.
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“It’s going to stay,” Kiefer said. “We may not have it this year… (but) there’s nothing wrong with beautiful women.”
Lamb, who is preparing to graduate from Florida Atlantic University, will be appearing on the back cover of this year’s swimsuit calendar. She called Bahamas photography a “great experience.”
Lamb will pos for the signed 2025 swimsuit calendar. She is featured on the back cover of the calendar. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital; Hooters)
With Hooters of America focusing on returning the brand to its founders, the company “doubling everything that Hooters has become legendary in the first place: a fun, coveted food, unforgettable service, an infatuation with guests that are not available elsewhere,” a spokesman told Fox News Digital.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone in the next era of Hooters.”
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“I’m here to serve your food and to serve your beer,” Lamb said. “If you think of other kinds of ways, this is not the place for you.”
Peter Burke is the lifestyle editor for Fox News Digital.
