It’s a hoot for the whole family.
Hooters’ notorious “bikini nights” are set to be axed as the raunchy eatery attempts to avoid bankruptcy and be more family-friendly.
“I’m calling it re-Hooterization,” Neil Kiefer, CEO of parent company HMC Hospitality Group, told Bloomberg.
The so-called “breastaurant” is attempting to overhaul its image, too, according to Kiefer. Infamous for its scantily clad waitresses in bright orange hot pants and revealing baby tees and tank tops, the eatery is now undergoing a PG revamp.
“You go to some parts of the country and people say, ‘Oh, I could never go to Hooters, my wife would kill me,’” Kiefer said. “That’s depressing to us. We want to change that.”
Bloomberg also reported that Hooters plans to implement fresher ingredients into the kitchen and provide faster service.
According to past reports, Hooters faced financial challenges as foot traffic in the eatery decreased.
Already, the chain has closed multiple locations across the nation, according to The Independent. Last year, 40 restaurants shuttered, and, per the Daily Mail, declaring bankruptcy could result in closing the remaining 300.
Fans of the cheeky (chesty?) chain previously joked that the downfall of Hooters could be chalked up to the fact “that millennials ‘aren’t that into boobs,’” one X user quipped at the time, to which people responded that “boobs are universal.”
Even Phoenix Sun player Devin Booker recently implored the restaurant against shuttering, posting to X: “Plz don’t go Hooters.”
According to a past report from Eat This, Not That, the pandemic negatively impacted Hooters in addition to an outdated menu, failed ventures and a change in ownership.
Not to mention, former servers at Hooters establishments have taken to social media to disavow “creepy” customers and bash the uniforms, which have been criticized as being too sexual.
In 2021, Hooters unveiled a new uniform featuring “wedgie” micro shorts that resembled bikini bottoms more than actual shorts.
The updated ensemble was met with scrutiny, as waitresses called it “porn” and questioned how much of their skin could even be covered by the skimpy material.
After being met with outrage by servers online, the company reversed its previous instructions that reportedly forced the employees to sport the new look or resign.
“As we continue to listen and update the image of the Hooters Girls, we are clarifying that they have the option to choose from traditional uniforms or the new ones,” a spokesperson told Business Insider at the time.
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