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Hooters restaurants keep closing even as CEO says there's more to the story
By Peter Burke
Published October 14, 2026
Hooters restaurants continue to disappear across America, including several longtime locations in Florida — but the iconic chain's CEO insists the closures aren't a sign that the brand is losing its appeal.
Neil Kiefer, CEO of Florida-based Hooters Inc., told Fox News Digital the company is focused on rebuilding the restaurant chain after its original founders regained control of the brand following its 2025 bankruptcy.
"The number of stores will go up and down, but the longevity of our commitment will not," Kiefer said. "These store closures are not an indication of brand strength."
HOOTERS RESTAURANTS KEEP DISAPPEARING AS ICONIC CHAIN LOSES LONGTIME LOCATIONS IN FOUNDING STATE
His remarks come after Fox News Digital reported that Hooters closed its last remaining restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, ending a 40-year presence in the city.
The closure followed the September shutdown of a Hooters in Panama City Beach, which had operated for more than three decades.
Hooters restaurants continue to disappear across America, including several longtime locations in Florida — but the chain's leadership insists the closures aren't a sign the brand is losing its appeal. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)
Other longtime locations have also disappeared, including a Hooters in Boca Raton, Florida, which closed earlier this year after 16 years when its landlord declined to renew the lease.
But Kiefer said the recent closures need to be viewed in the context of the company's ownership changes.
"In March 2025, Hooters of America filed for bankruptcy," he said.
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"Hooters of America was a separate corporate entity from the original Hooters team that first founded the brand and their first restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983," he went on.
"While these two groups may have shared a name, they shared nothing else. The original founders saw an opportunity to step in and reclaim their brand, integrity and legacy. Since these acquisitions, we've learned some stores were in various stages of need."
The last Hooters in Jacksonville, Florida, recently closed after 40 years. The CEO of Hooters Inc. told Fox News Digital that some restaurants are "in various stages of need." (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Kiefer also emphasized that the closures should not be viewed as a reflection of the restaurant chain's "beloved staff, community or sisterhood of the orange shorts."
The restaurant chain has been working to reinvent itself under its new ownership — with a renewed emphasis on food, hospitality and attracting families.
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Kiefer previously told Fox News Digital that Hooters had become overly sexualized under its former corporate leadership and that he wanted to restore the brand's original identity.
That strategy has included opening new restaurants, including a location in The Villages, Florida, in July 2025, while another location in Lutz, near Tampa, is coming soon, according to its website.
The Villages restaurant has also attracted attention for its popularity among retirees, demonstrating how the brand is attempting to appeal to a broader customer base.
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For now, however, the restaurant chain's shrinking footprint remains visible in parts of its founding state.
The Hooters in Boca Raton, Florida, closed earlier this year when the lease was not renewed, leaving a gap between locations along the state's Atlantic coast. (Hooters)
Following the Jacksonville and Boca Raton closures, large stretches of the state's Atlantic coast are without a Hooters restaurant.
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Kiefer maintains that the company's commitment to its customers and employees remains unchanged.
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"Instead, we are concentrating our efforts on what has always made us successful: our community, our staff, our food and our unshakeable dedication to all three."
https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/hooters-restaurants-keep-closing-even-ceo-says-theres-more-story