Hooters opened its first restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983. For more than 40 years, the chain’s been known for its wings and scantily clad waitresses. At its peak, Hooters boasted more than 400 locations worldwide, but that number has dwindled in recent years. Hooters CEO Neil Kiefer told People he wants to take the restaurant back to its roots as a neighborhood spot for families. He said it’s a “beach themed” restaurant “That many families frequent, and singles and couples,” Neil’s been with the company since its inception in 1983, serving as legal counsel, then taking over as CEO in 1992.
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Some Don’t Think Hooters Is Very Family Friendly
Most family-friendly restaurants don’t have their servers in skimpy clothes and shiny tights like Hooters. Neil argued that’s not the heart of the business. He mentioned that the Hooters uniforms are not as family-friendly as he would like, and that will change.
“There’s nothing wrong with a pair of shorts if fitted properly,” he said. “But I think in a dining place, there is something wrong if they’re in a thong type of uniform.”
He added that in large metropolitan areas, Hooters restaurants seeing a diverse clientele.
“If you’ve ever been to a Hooters in Chicago or in Tampa Bay or in South Florida, you’re going to see tons of families, tons of children,” Neil claimed.
He also explained that the restaurant’s name dates back a very long time. The world has changed significantly in the past four decades and will continue to evolve.
“I understand the word hooters, the Steve Martin joke,” Neil said. “It was a double entendre. It was acceptable humor back then, and it’s coming back to be acceptable humor, but it was oversexualized too much in the last 15, 20 years.”
We wish him all the success in the world and can’t wait to see if this works in his favor.
This story’s featured image is by Kevin Carter/Getty Images
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