Hooters is the registered trademark [ 3 ] used by two American restaurant chains: Hooters, Inc. The waiting staff at Hooters restaurants are primarily young women, usually referred to simply as "Hooters Girls", whose revealing outfits and sex appeal are played up and are a primary component of the company's image.
The company employs men and women as cooks, hosts at some franchises , busboys , and managers. Almost all Hooters restaurants hold alcoholic beverage licenses to sell beer and wine, and where local permits allow, a full liquor bar. Hooters T-shirts, sweatshirts, and various souvenirs and curios are also sold.
As of [update] , there were more than Hooters locations and franchises around the world and Hooters of America LLC. Hooters, Inc. The date was an April Fools' Day joke because the original six owners believed that their prospect was going to fail. Their first Hooters restaurant was built on the site of a former rundown nightclub that had been purchased at a low price.
So many businesses had folded in that particular location that the Hooters founders built a small "graveyard" at the front door for each that had come and gone before them. The first restaurant opened its doors on October 4, , in Clearwater. Robert H. Brooks and a group of Atlanta investors operators of Hooters of America, Inc. In , Brooks bought majority control and became chairman. As part of their 25th anniversary, Hooters Magazine released its list of top Hooters Girls of all time.
After Brooks' death in , buyers showed interest in Hooters of America Inc. As a result, Chanticleer and other investors bought the company from the Brooks family. As of July [update] , Hooters of America owned restaurants and operates or franchises over In June , Hooters abruptly closed approximately 40 locations that were deemed underperforming, blaming rising costs and a decline in sales as part of the decision. In response to declining sales, in the company launched a fast casual spinoff of its format called "Hoots".
