ATLANTA, July 17 (Our Florida Times) — Hooters is trying to reset its image.
In recent interviews with PEOPLE, USA TODAY and Fox News Digital, company leaders said the chain’s comeback is tied to a return to its original idea: a beach-themed restaurant built around food, hospitality and a relaxed setting. They say families are part of that picture, not something new.
At the same time, employees at South Florida locations told Fox News Digital that the brand has not changed much for them. They said families, children, teenagers and older customers have long been part of the crowd, especially at daytime and beach-area restaurants.
What is Hooters saying it wants to be?
Neil Kiefer, whom the company identifies as its CEO, said Hooters wants to get back to what he called the chain’s original concept. In interviews quoted by PEOPLE and Fox News Digital, he described it as a beach-themed place centered on Hooters Girls, good food and a place to relax.
Kiefer also said the company wants to move away from stores he described as oversexualized or “renegade,” and instead emphasize food, hospitality and community involvement.
Michela DellaMonica, a company representative quoted by USA TODAY, said the shift is a “return to our roots” rather than a major makeover. She also said family-oriented promotions, including children’s deals, are planned.
Why is this happening now?
The brand’s new messaging comes after a period of financial pressure and restructuring. Fox News Digital reported in April 2025 that Hooters of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of a founder-led buyout and turnaround effort.
Chapter 11 is a court process that lets a company keep operating while it reorganizes its debts and business plan.
Kiefer has said the company is trying to rebuild a broader customer base. In PEOPLE’s reporting, he said Hooters has always been “a neighborhood place” for families, singles and couples. He also said that in places such as Chicago, Tampa Bay and South Florida, customers can see “tons of families” and “tons of children.”
What are South Florida employees saying?
That is where the company’s message meets the day-to-day experience of workers in Florida.
Gracie Williams, a Hooters employee in South Florida, told Fox News Digital that “nothing’s really changed for our locations.” She said the restaurants have long welcomed families and that “we get families. We get elderly people. We get teenagers, even kids.”
Williams, who said she has worked for Hooters for nearly six years and is the July cover model for the chain’s calendar, said, “We are the same Hooters girls that we have been from the start.”
Another employee, Micayla Williams, told Fox News Digital that the South Florida restaurants still serve the same mix of customers they always have.
What stays the same?
Even as the company talks about families, it is not presenting the move as a full reset.
In earlier Fox News Digital reporting, Kiefer said the company did not plan to hold weekly bikini-night events in its restaurants. He also said some traditions, including the swimsuit calendar and the Miss Hooters International Pageant, would remain.
That is part of the balancing act for Hooters: keep the brand identity people already know, while making the restaurants feel more welcoming to a wider range of customers.
Why does this matter for diners?
For South Florida diners, the story is less about a national slogan and more about what a familiar chain is trying to be in local neighborhoods.
Hooters’ leaders say they are restoring the brand’s roots. Workers in South Florida say those roots never left.
For the chain, the challenge now is proving that its comeback message matches what guests see when they walk in the door.
