Posted on 11/09/2025 4:24:53 AM PST by where's_the_Outrage?
In early 2025, Hooters, arguably one of the most controversial restaurant chains in America, filed for bankruptcy. While the chain dates back to 1983, it began facing financial difficulties even before the COVID-19 pandemic. By the time it made the filing, the company had closed over 125 locations since 2019. A group called Original Hooters LLC, made up of some of the original owners and investors, has taken control of the restaurant again, buying it back during the bankruptcy process with plans to reinvigorate the franchise.
The new-but-old owners want to take Hooters back to its roots, and for them, that means making it family-friendly, doing away with the controversial and revealing uniforms the chain is known for. The orange shorts and white t-shirts remain, but the plan is for the shorts to become more modest, keeping in line with how uniforms looked in the 1980s when Hooters opened. Those shorts are by no means long, but they are closer to a traditional athletic short and not as revealing as some later versions were under the previous owners.
As for the rest of the uniform, which is traditionally just a tight, revealing shirt, there are no changes planned. Instead, the rest of the revamp will focus on the restaurant itself and the food that it serves.
Hooters is famous for chicken wings, but despite that, reviews over the years have not always been kind. The wings are often considered inconsistent or average, although we ranked them fairly high amongst other popular chains' wings. In order to address this problem and put the wings front and center again, the chain plans to make all of its wings fresh, no longer using frozen products. That also includes hand-breading the wings according to the original recipe and using AA-grade butter in the sauce.
(Excerpt) Read more at tastingtable.com ...
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I'm a big fan of their wings, but with the store closings grocery stores no longer carry the sauce or breading, and online costs have skyrocketed.
But yes, we enjoyed the eye candy, however last time we got together, I think 4 years ago the scenery had really gone downhill.
Two guys go to Hooters:
Two guys grow up together, but after college one moves to Georgia and the other to Texas. They agree to meet every ten years in Florida to play golf and catch up with each other.
At age 32 they meet, finish their round of golf and head for lunch.
“Where you wanna go?”
“Hooters.”
“Why Hooters?”
“They have those good looking servers.”
“You’re on.”
At age 42, they meet and play golf again
“Where you wanna go for lunch?”
“Hooters.”
“Again? Why?”
“They have cold beer, big screen TVs, and side action on the games.”
“OK.”
At age 52 they meet and play again. “So where you wanna go for lunch?”
“Hooters.
“Why?”
“The food is pretty good and there’s plenty of parking.”
“OK.”
At age 62 they meet again.
After a round of golf, one says, “Where you wanna go?”
“Hooters.”
“Why?”
“Wings are half price and the food isn’t too spicy.”
“Good choice”
At age 72 they meet again.
Once again, after a round of golf, one says, “Where shall we go for lunch?”
“Hooters.”
“Why?”
“They have six handicapped parking spaces right by the door and they have senior discounts.”
“Great choice.”
At age 82 they meet and play again. “Where should we go for lunch?”
“Hooters.”
“Why?”
“Because we’ve never been there before.”
“Okay, let’s give it a try.”
lol!!!
We used to go about once a month for lunch from work back in the early ‘90s. They still had a fish sandwich that was grouper, and it was quite good. That is long gone from the menu.
Always great on road trips to see my favorite team but I went there for the cuisine.
Hooters used to have beer specials. Not anymore.
Hand-breaded, hand-pattied, hand-sliced, hand-tossed. How about, “Hands off my food lest I lay hands on your hooters?”
Franks Redhot Wing sauce with garlic is every bit as good as Hooters. And a lot cheaper. I say that as someone who loves Hooters (wings).
My buddies and I used to go to a Hooters after playing golf in the 2000s. I knew the franchise was going downhill when waitresses would sit with us and talk, as hooter waitress did for higher tips and complained about their boyfriend, child care, unpaid parking tickets, etc. Not to mention that the girl’s appearances declined. It was like an unwanted sitting with an ex wife.
All is for naught if they don’t go back to the original Tabasco-based hot sauce recipe.
These days, there is a risk of getting a DEI male server dressed in the standard uniform.
LOLOL! Thanks. Got a good laugh at dawn.
As did I but dawn is on the horizon in about an hour.
grouper...REALLY?
Ugh. Many places we go the restaurants have replaced any quality fish with tilapia.
Gross.
omg.
I was on a date years ago and the waitress at a very nice restaurant actually said to me, ‘scoot over’ and sat beside me while she read the specials. I mean WT actual H????!!!!!
“Because we’ve never been there before.”
LOL! :)
Agreed. Tilapia like catfish is a bottom feeder and farm raised.
My wife loves both but I wouldn’t touch either with a 10 foot fork.
I’ve tried explaining to her what bottom feeding fish eat but she doesn’t care. 🤷
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