America’s iconic ‘breastaurant’ is staging a comeback — and the man behind it wants the uniforms to be less cheeky.
Hooters, the 250-restaurant chain known for scantily dressed servers and chicken wings, filed for bankruptcy in March after years of falling sales.
Neil Kiefer, who runs 20 locations, is plotting to buy around 50 bankrupt stores and has a simple plan: less butts, more butter.
The key to revitalizing the brand is a return to their classic attire: the iconic orange shorts, rather than the newer, bikini-style bottoms. Kiefer believes that the introduction of the revealing bottoms at some locations was a misstep that affected the brand’s ‘delightfully tacky’, yet family-oriented reputation.
‘I don’t think you’re going to see a bunch of butt cheeks hanging out,’ he told the Wall Street Journal about his vision for the future.
Currently, over 70 percent of the menu offerings in Kiefer’s 20 restaurants — including buffalo shrimp, sandwiches, chicken tenders, wings, and more — are covered in a butter-based sauce.
Kiefer wants to expand the sauce to more dishes across all Hooters locations, made with Grade-A dairy.
His vision is to turn Hooters into a place for both beer-and-wings guys, as well as a spot for moms, dad and kids to grab a family meal.
Kiefer says the skimpier outfits were a misstep that damaged Hooters’ “delightfully tacky” but family-friendly image
A key part of the revival is going back to the chain’s throwback look: classic orange shorts instead of the newer bikini-style bottoms
Original Hooters posters featured Lynne Austin. The chain, which debuted its first location in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983, reached its height with over 400 branches by 2008.
If a bankruptcy judge in Dallas approves the sale in the coming weeks, the restaurants Kiefer acquires will be ‘re-Hooterized,’ as he puts it.
His plans also include $300,000 renovations at every restaurant and a smaller, simpler menu. But the menu was never really the chain’s main focus.
Hooters’ uniforms have always been a topic of intrigue and debate, combining low-cut white crop tops with those vividly orange shorts, originally inspired by a secretary’s workout apparel.
Over the decades, the look, complete with the brand’s signature owl, inspired calendars, pageants, and the chain’s tongue-in-cheek marketing.
The eye-catching attire has been lucrative for staff members. Maia Marie, a 24-year-old server, amazed her 25,000 social media followers when she earned a significant amount of money during just one partial shift.
“I walked out with $451,” Marie stated in a viral TikTok video last year, which garnered 3.8 million views. Thus, a full shift could potentially earn her twice that amount.
But as staffers made more money, the private equity owners racked up debt. During its March bankruptcy, the company reported $300 million in unpaid bonds.
Since the bankruptcy, the chain has shut down about 50 stores. It also closed about 40 stores last year. Hooters, which launched its first restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983, reached its peak with more than 400 outlets in 2008.
In 2023, SNL aired a sketch featuring Sydney Sweeney as a Hooters waitress who receives an enormous number of tips — playing on the chain’s steamy vibe. The sketch, penned by cast member Chloe Fineman, sparked debate over its sexualized undertone
The restaurant drew the ire of families for implementing bikini-style shorts at some of its stores
Previously, the shorts were longer and baggier
The chain is known for its scantily-clad waitresses
Marie recommended others apply to the chain while showing off her cash
In recent years, the brand has tried to reignite sales with provocative, sex-driven marketing campaigns.
A few stores experimented with tighter, shorter bikini-cut bottoms, however, drew backlash from both customers and employees.
Waitresses frequently complained about harassment from top managers and customers.
Kiefer, a lawyer and longtime friend of Hooters’ founders, has overseen parts of the business since 1992 and has spent much of his career running restaurants.
He says his restaurants never adopted the shorter bottoms, and insists the brand lost magic in the switch.
But Hooter’s attempted resurgence comes at a tricky time for mid-tier restaurants in the US.
In the past year, TGI Fridays, On the Border, and Bertucci’s — all restaurants that cater to middle-income customers, like Hooters — have all filed for bankruptcy.
Bigger brands are struggling too: Cava, Sweetgreen, and Chipotle all missed Wall Street estimates in their latest earnings reports.
The classic Hooters look included a crop top and orange shirts – with a side of buttery wings
The restaurant is also going a major renovation project with a projected $300,000-per-store update planned
Previously, Hooters locations included wood-slatted interiors with giant televisions mounted on the walls
Hooter’s is plotting its revival – and canceling its bikini bottom attire
Neil Kiefer, the CEO of Original Hooters Founder Group, is hoping to revive the brand
The restaurants are all saying the same thing: Americans are spending less money on prepared food as they struggle to keep up with still-rising inflation.
But there are some glimmers of hope.
Chains that have focused heavily on social media marketing and cost-cutting value are reporting blockbuster sales.
Chili’s reported a 39 percent sales increase in the past two years. McDonald’s, which has been cutting back on its own major price spikes, also demolished investor expectations.
Whether Hooters can weather the current economic storm roiling the fast-casual chain is anyone’s guess.
But at least parents won’t have to shield their child’s eyes as they attempt the comeback.
Kiefer didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
