'Kids eat free' Saturdays and baby onesies: Hooters goes family-friendly, but its 'beach-themed' rebrand could drive away its original customers

A re-Hooterization of the risqué sports bar and restaurant is underway. Chief Executive Neil Kiefer told the New York Times “there’s a lot to clean up.” The first location, in Clearwater, Florida, featured an all-female waitstaff in revealing outfits. Kiefer has said “we’re getting back to what makes us a beach-themed restaurant as opposed to a girlie bar.”

At its peak, the home of the world-famous chicken wings and Hooters Girls had more than 420 restaurants across 42 states and 29 countries. The original owners grew the chain by licensing the Hooters name to entrepreneurs, and over time private equity firms took control. According to the New York Times, this caused the company to split in two: Hooters Inc., the branch controlled by the founders, and Hooters of America, which was run by franchisees.

“For many years now, the Hooters brand has been owned by private equity firms and other groups with no history or experience with the Hooters brand,” Kiefer said in an interview with Restaurant Dive. In March 2025, Hooters of America — the franchisee side — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The original owners will own approximately 140 of the 198 domestic Hooters restaurants.

A modern makeover

Hooters customers can still expect wings and Hooters Girls, but with changes to uniforms, a simplified menu featuring higher-quality ingredients and restaurant upgrades. The renewed focus on family and neighborhood dining means fewer bikini nights and less provocative décor. It is not known whether the cheeky Hooters logo will also be changed. Moneywise contacted Hooters and Kiefer for comment but did not receive a response.

At a Hooters in East Brunswick, New Jersey, 26-year-old construction worker Robbie Holmes was there with two friends. He told the Times that they “weren’t expecting baseball teams and families.” He added that the waitresses were still the reason for their visit. “The wings are good, but the big selling point is that there’s girls here.”

At the East Brunswick location, there is a “Kids Eat Free” promotion on Saturdays and Hooters-branded baby onesies for sale — as well as the occasional bikini night, with servers in swimwear. Kiefer said he is trying to phase out bikini nights at locations he does not control.

Can a preconception be rebranded?

The risk for Hooters’ 43-year-old brand is that it may be perceived as too edgy for young families yet not revealing enough for its regular customers. Customers weighed in online, with some saying the waitresses were never a factor and that they visited because there was never a wait, while others warned that without the uniform, it would just become another Applebee’s. In the FSR 30 2025 rankings, Hooters placed 18th, behind competitors including Applebee’s, Chili’s, Outback Steakhouse and Cracker Barrel.

There have been other notable franchise rebrands in recent years, including Pizza Hut, Chili’s and Cracker Barrel. A viral TikTok video of a mozzarella stick cheese pull helped bring Chili’s into the Gen Z conversation. The brand also introduced $10.99 meal deals with a “better than fast food” campaign. Company sales were $1,455.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2026.