Hooters Returns After Filing for Bankruptcy — But With a Key Change to Its Iconic Uniforms

Michelle Stein
Hooters
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

What To Know

  • Hooters is relaunching after bankruptcy, with Neil Kiefer taking ownership and expanding operations to about 130 restaurants.
  • The chain is reverting to its classic uniforms, moving away from the more revealing bikini-cut bottoms.
  • Hooters is focusing on a family-friendly image with restaurant renovations, a cleaner menu featuring fresher ingredients, and new food offerings.

Hooters is making a big return after filing for bankruptcy earlier this year — just with a key change to its iconic uniforms.

On Monday, November 3, an article from the Daily Mail announced the restaurant chain’s revival after someone close to the original founders of Hooters took back full ownership of the brand from Hooters of America.

Hooters of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February to restructure $376 million in debt and shutter underperforming locations. Now, Neil Kiefer, CEO of Hooters Inc and a close friend of the brand’s founders, will own and run about 130 Hooters restaurants (up from 20). The deal went through on October 14.

Amid Hooters’ return is a change to the iconic uniforms — or rather, a return to the throwback style. Servers will return to wearing orange shorts and white crop tops, ditching the newer bikini-cut bottoms. The update to the uniforms is part of a “renewed commitment to family and community,” according to Hooters’ founders, in addition to cleaner menus, fresher ingredients and restaurant renovations.

Hooters girls backstage at the Alexander Wang Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Roseland Ballroom on February 14, 2009, in New York City. (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

“We’re not just acquiring restaurants — we’re taking back the Hooters name to show the world who we really are,” Kiefer told the Daily Mail. “Our vision is about more than great food and service. It’s about bringing people together, making memories, and ensuring that Hooters remains a place where everyone feels welcome.”

As part of the Hooters re-launch, restaurants will undergo $300,000 in renovations per store to modernize their interiors.

The Hooters menu, meanwhile, will now feature a hand-breaded wing recipe, fresh salads, and wild-caught fish. Additionally, Kiefer said the plan is to expand the use of a butter-based sauce to more dishes at Hooters locations.

“We’ve done this successfully for over 40 years and are beyond excited to rebuild trust one wing, customer, and one family at a time,” he told the Daily Mail.

Hooters was founded in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida. Although the restaurant is getting a second chance, the same can’t be said for stores like Joann Fabrics, Sears, Toys ‘R’ Us, and more