Hooters facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food service |
| Founded | October 4, 1983 Clearwater, Florida, U.S. |
| Founders | Lynn D. Stewart Gil DiGiannantonio Ed Droste Billy Ranieri Ken Wimmer Dennis Johnson |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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430+ |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Products | Burgers, chicken wings, seafood, Tex-Mex, full bar |
| Revenue |  US$605 million (2021) |
| Owner | Nord Bay Capital TriArtisan Capital Advisor |
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Number of employees
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15,000 (2021) |
Hooters is a well-known American restaurant chain. It is actually made up of two different companies that share the same brand name. One is called Hooters, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida. The other is Hooters of America, Inc., located in Atlanta, Georgia.
These restaurants serve many popular foods. You can find hamburgers, sandwiches, steaks, seafood, and their famous chicken wings. Hooters also sells its own T-shirts, sweatshirts, and other souvenirs.
As of 2016, there were over 430 Hooters restaurants worldwide. This includes both company-owned locations and franchises. In 2012, Hooters had restaurants in 44 U.S. states and many other countries.
Contents
The Story of Hooters
Hooters, Inc. started in Clearwater, Florida, on April 1, 1983. Six local businessmen created it. Their names were Lynn D. Stewart, Gil DiGiannantonio, Ed Droste, Billy Ranieri, Ken Wimmer, and Dennis Johnson.
They chose April 1st as an April Fools' Day joke. The founders thought their restaurant idea might not succeed. Their first Hooters was in an old nightclub building. Many businesses had failed there before. So, the founders even built a small "graveyard" outside for them.
The very first Hooters restaurant opened on October 4, 1983. It was decorated with items from Waverly, Iowa. This was the hometown of some of the original owners.
In 1984, Hugh Connerty bought the rights to Hooters. Later, Robert H. Brooks and a group of investors from Atlanta bought the company from Connerty. This group became Hooters of America, Inc.
Under Robert Brooks's leadership, the Hooters brand grew a lot. It expanded to over 425 restaurants around the world. After Brooks passed away in 2006, his children, Coby Brooks and Boni Belle Brooks, took over most of Hooters of America Inc.
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Inside a Hooters restaurant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2006
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A Hooters restaurant at night in Saugus, Massachusetts
In 2011, a group of investors, including Chanticleer Holdings LLC, bought Hooters of America Inc. from the Brooks family. By July 2013, Hooters of America owned 160 restaurants. It also operated or franchised over 430 locations.
On July 1, 2019, Hooters was sold again. The new owners were Nord Bay Capital and TriArtisan Capital Advisors. In June 2024, Hooters closed about 40 locations. They said this was due to rising costs and lower sales.
Hoots Restaurants
In 2017, Hooters started a new type of restaurant called "Hoots." This was a way to try something different as sales changed. Hoots is a "fast casual" restaurant. This means it's quicker and has a smaller menu.
At Hoots, both men and women work as servers. They wear simple t-shirts and khaki pants. This is different from the original Hooters concept.
Hooters Restaurant Staff
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The waitresses at Hooters are known as "Hooters Girls." They wear a special uniform. This uniform includes a white tank top with the "Hootie the Owl" logo. They also wear short orange nylon shorts.
Their uniform also includes a brown ticket pouch, tan pantyhose, white socks, and white shoes. Men who work at Hooters, like cooks or managers, wear Hooters hats and T-shirts with long pants or shorts.
Community and Sports
Helping Charities
Hooters has a special fund called the Hooters Community Endowment Fund, or HOO.C.E.F.. This fund helps many charities. They give money and volunteers to groups like Habitat for Humanity and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They also support the Special Olympics and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
After a former Hooters Girl named Kelly Jo Dowd passed away in 2007, Hooters started a campaign. This campaign supports breast cancer research. By 2010, the chain had raised over $2 million for this important cause.
In 2009, Hooters also partnered with Operation Homefront. They created The Valentine Fund to honor a fallen soldier, Thomas J. Valentine. This fund helps military families, especially those of U.S. Special Forces members.
Sports Sponsorships
Hooters has been involved in the world of sports. They have sponsored sports teams and events. For example, they once sponsored the Miami Hooters, an Arena Football League team. They also sponsored a car racing series called the USAR Hooters Pro Cup.
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In 1992, Hooters sponsored NASCAR driver Alan Kulwicki. He won the Winston Cup Championship that year. Sadly, Alan Kulwicki died in a plane crash in 1993. Hooters continued to sponsor other drivers in NASCAR for many years. More recently, Hooters has sponsored the No. 9 car driven by Chase Elliott from 2017 to 2024.
Hooters also sponsors the "Hooters Worldwide Wing Eating Championship." This is a competition where people eat a lot of chicken wings. The restaurant has also licensed its name for video games, like Hooters Road Trip. They also have a calendar each year that features Hooters Girls.
Since 1996, Hooters has held the Miss Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant. This is a competition for Hooters Girls from all over the world. In 2010, LeAngela Davis became the first African-American woman to win this pageant.
See also
- AK Racing
- Restaurant chains in the United States
- Theme restaurants
