Hooters is making the residents of a Florida retirement neighborhood comfortable.
In The Villages, Florida, Hooters opened its doorways on Monday, changing into the primary new location since Hooters of America filed for Chapter 11 chapter earlier this yr as a part of an effort to allow a founder-led buyout and restructuring of the favored restaurant chain.
Hooters followers lined up early for the opening of the new restaurant in The Villages, an age-restricted neighborhood positioned about 45 miles northwest of Orlando.
Neil Kiefer, CEO of Hooters Inc., the Clearwater, Florida-based firm that based the Hooters idea in 1983, informed Fox Information Digital beforehand that his group, together with one other franchisee, intends to take over the Hooters model.
“The residents of The Villages have asked for Hooters, and we are excited to open our doors,” Kiefer mentioned in a information launch. “We look forward to serving great food in a fun atmosphere and being a part of The Villages community.”
Social media video confirmed a gentle circulate of consumers when the doorways opened for the primary time.
After greater than 30 Hooters places all through the nation abruptly closed in June, the grand opening of The Villages restaurant may signify a turning level for the unique so-called “breastaurant” chain.
Kiefer mentioned his group intends to “change the culture” of Hooters after the corporate-run eating places strayed from the unique founders’ imaginative and prescient and made adjustments that had been inconsistent with the model.
These adjustments included uniform modifications and requirements that differed from location to location.
He mentioned the iconic orange shorts, as conceived within the Eighties, had been “more of an athletic look.”
“Somewhere along the line,” Kiefer mentioned, Atlanta-based Hooters of America “went to the more revealing” shorts, “which to us does not jibe with a neighborhood restaurant that some families choose to frequent.”
A husband and spouse who chronicle Florida life on social media attended the grand opening of The Villages location and documented their expertise in a video they shared on their YouTube web page.
It had over 9,000 views as of Thursday morning.
Alex and Tember Fowler informed Fox Information Digital they moved to Florida in 2020.
They “decided to start showing everyone all there is to do” within the Sunshine State, which led them to create The Altem Life web site and social media handles.
Alex Fowler revealed that the final Hooters they went to has since closed and was “not a very good one.”
However their expertise on the location in The Villages was principally constructive.
They spoke extremely of the wings and curly fries and mentioned the service was “excellent.”
“They’re pretty much double-teaming every table, which is also helping everything out,” Alex Fowler mentioned.
The one damaging, he mentioned, was that Hooters charged for refills on flavored teas, though they had been informed earlier than they ordered them.
“They used to not do that,” he mentioned.
Total, although, their Hooters expertise was constructive, they mentioned.
“I have to say, it earned my trust back in Hooters because I thought everything was very good,” Alex Fowler mentioned.
“Probably one of the better openings we’ve been to,” Tember Fowler added.
One lady who dined there on the opening day agreed, telling the Fowlers, “I’d come back.”
Together with one other current franchisee, the Hooters purchaser group collectively controls over 30% of the home places, together with 14 of the 30 highest-volume eating places, in keeping with a March 31 information launch saying the restructuring plan.
As soon as the restructuring has been authorised by a chapter courtroom, the client group anticipates working about 130 Hooters eating places – roughly 65% of the home Hooters places.
One other Hooters location is scheduled to open in Wesley Chapel, Florida, someday this fall, the corporate mentioned.
