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Hooters Founders Finalize Takeover and Launch 'Re-Hooterization' After Bankruptcy

The new owners seek to steady the business by restoring the brand’s original, family-leaning beach-bar identity.

Overview

  • The acquisition closed Friday about seven months after the Chapter 11 filing, returning control to the founding group operating as Hooters Inc.
  • The company now controls roughly 140 U.S. restaurants, with about 60 international locations bringing the system to approximately $700 million in sales, according to the company.
  • Server uniforms will revert to the classic orange shorts and white tops to present a more modest look consistent with the brand’s early years.
  • Operational changes include a simplified menu with handbreaded wings, sauces made with Grade AA butter, house-made ranch and bleu cheese, fresh-cut salads, and wild-caught fish, alongside equipment upgrades and remodeling.
  • The plan shifts the chain to a franchise model and aims to rebuild trust after years of store closures and a 2021 uniform backlash under prior private-equity ownership.