Hooters CEO Says Restaurant Closures Are Not a Sign of Weakening ‘Brand Strength,’ Vows ‘Longevity’

Even as the national footprint of Hooters Inc. continues to shrink, CEO Neil Kiefer is confident that it’s nothing to worry about.

“The number of stores will go up and down, but the longevity of our commitment will not,” he told Fox News Digital on Wednesday, October 14. “These store closures are not an indication of brand strength.”

The comments come as the Florida-based business shuttered its last remaining location in Jacksonville, Florida after 40 straight years in the city, per Fox News. That closure comes after a Hooters in Panama City Beach shut down in September after more than three decades in business, and another in Boca Raton after 16 years.

Citing Usearch‘s data, TheStreet reported on October 8 that Hooters has closed at least 55 restaurants in 2026, including its final locations in four states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York. Kiefer said that it’s important to look at each of these closures in the context of the company’s recent ownership change.

“In March 2025, Hooters of America filed for bankruptcy,” he explained. “Hooters of America was a separate corporate entity from the original Hooters team that first founded the brand and their first restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983.”

“While these two groups may have shared a name, they shared nothing else,” he added. Kiefer told Fox News Digital in April 2025 that he felt the brand had become overly sexualized under its former corporate owners.

Hooters of America emerged from bankruptcy in October 2025 with its remaining locations either closing or transitioning to franchisees as part of the restructuring, per TheStreet. Hooters then announced on its website that the “Original Hooters,” aka Hooters Inc., finalized its acquisition of Hooters of America on November 3, 2025.

“The original founders saw an opportunity to step in and reclaim their brand, integrity and legacy,” he said on Wednesday. “Since these acquisitions, we’ve learned some stores were in various stages of need.”

WJXT covered the Jacksonville closure on October 2, reporting an orange notice was posted on the building September 29 stating, “This establishment is closed to protect public health and safety.”

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation issued a temporary closure after an inspection resulted in three high-priority, two intermediate, and five basic violations, according to TheStreet’s October 8 story. Hooters Inc. has not publicly stated if the violations were the cause of its permanent closure.

On Wednesday, Kiefer emphasized, “We are concentrating our efforts on what has always made us successful: our community, our staff, our food and our unshakeable dedication to all three.”