Iconic chain with 300 restaurants confirms closure of dozens of outlets – but bosses offer customers new hope

HOOTERS has closed dozens of locations due to poor performance, officials confirmed.

The iconic sports bar chain succumbed to market pressures and admitted defeat in some areas, following in the footsteps of other chains including Red Lobster and Rubio’s Coastal Grill.

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“Like many restaurants under pressure from current market conditions, Hooters has made the difficult decision to close a select number of underperforming stores,” said a Hooters spokesperson. CNN.

While the exact number of locations affected has not been revealed, local reports cite numbers around 40 of the chain’s 293 locations as part of the change.

This includes locations in Florida, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.

Over the weekend, the chain abruptly closed its only store on Galveston Island, Texas, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.

This is one of at least eight Hooters locations that are closed for the weekend in The Lone Star State, including Wichita Falls, Lubbock and Kirby.

Officials noted that the network will prioritize the care of affected personnel.

“Ensuring the well-being of our staff is our priority in these rare cases,” the statement added.

However, an employee at one of the closed Texas locations called the last-minute closure “a slap in the face,” for Chron News.

The employee claimed she was invited to attend a meeting with her colleagues at 7:30am on Sunday, where they were informed of the closure.

She added that anyone who wanted to transfer to another Hooters bar would have to help clean up and close the restaurant over the next three days.

Despite the abrupt closures, officials issued a statement of hope to fans of the 41-year-old chain.

Hooters “remains highly resilient and relevant” as it has expanded its products into grocery stores and operates on an increasingly larger scale outside the U.S., officials said.

“We look forward to continuing to serve our guests at home, on the go and in our restaurants here in the U.S. and around the world,” the spokesperson added.

The latest closures come after fans held a candlelight vigil in February for the loss of a Hooters restaurant in Charleston, West Virginia.

The chain also closed its Lafayette, Louisiana store after 25 years in January.

While Hooters blames a struggling market for the poor performance of several of its locations, its rivals are booming in comparison.

The chain suffered a 1.3% decrease in its operational footprint between 2022 and 2023, after ending last year with 293 locations, according to restaurant consultancy Technomic Ignite.

However, in 2018 it had 333 locations, which means that since then it has recorded an even greater drop of 12%.

Meanwhile, major competitors such as Twin Peaks and Dave & Busters have expanded their operations.