Hooters, the American diner known for its wing buckets and scantily dressed waitresses, is undergoing a massive rebrand.
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Or, as the company's chief executive officer described it, a full-blown "re-Hooterization."
After filing for bankruptcy in 2025, the fast-food chain is looking to return to its roots, which it believes will create a welcoming, less eroticized atmosphere.
In a Thursday, May 21 interview with PEOPLE, Hooters CEO Neil Kiefer said the restaurant chain is working to become "more friendly" to families. Additionally, the company aims to ditch the sexualized image and reputation it's garnered over the last two decades.
"It's a neighborhood place that many families frequent. And singles and couples," Kiefer told the outlet, describing Hooters as "a beach-themed place centered around the Hooters Girls, good food, [and being an] easy place to relax."
Hooters Making Massive Changes to Remaining Locations
CEO Neil Kiefer has been with Hooters since its inception in 1983. He began as the company's attorney and was promoted to chief executive officer in 1995.
Kiefer stated that, after private equity firms took over portions of the business in the early 2000s, some locations began to stray "further and further away from what the brand and the concept stood for."
While Hooters was intended to maintain its beach vibe, many locations opted for a more sexualized uniform for their employees.
Kiefer said he and the original owners reacquired the brand's IP in November 2025 when Hooters of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The New York Times reported that the owners acquired around 140 locations to "re-Hooterize."
However, after acquiring over 100 locations, Kiefer noticed that the initial style and recipes were lost.
"They didn't use the appropriate sauce," for one, Kiefer said. "About 70% of our food products have that sauce on it."
"The second thing was they had changed the uniforms of the girls. And put them in almost what appeared to be a thong," Kiefer said. "And that was never the intention when this concept started."
