History of Hooters in Timeline

Hooters is an American restaurant chain with two entities: Hooters, Inc. in Clearwater, Florida, and Hooters of America, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia (owned by Nord Bay Capital). The name is a double entendre, referencing both an owl hoot and a slang term for women's breasts.

April 1, 1983: Hooters, Inc. Incorporated

On April 1, 1983, Hooters, Inc., was incorporated in Clearwater, Florida, by six businessmen as an April Fool's Day joke.

October 4, 1983: First Hooters Restaurant Opens

The first Hooters restaurant opened on October 4, 1983, in Clearwater, Florida, decorated with memorabilia from Waverly, Iowa.

December 1984: Hugh Connerty Buys Rights to Hooters

In December 1984, Hugh Connerty bought the rights to Hooters from the original six owners before Robert H. Brooks and Atlanta investors acquired the company.

1986: First Hooters Calendar

Since 1986, Hooters has issued a calendar featuring Hooters Girls, with signings held in some of their restaurants.

1992: Hooters Sponsors Alan Kulwicki

In 1992, Hooters sponsored NASCAR driver Alan Kulwicki as he won the Winston Cup Championship.

April 1, 1993: Kulwicki Dies in Plane Crash

On April 1, 1993, Alan Kulwicki, along with others including Bob Brooks' son Mark, died in a plane crash returning from a Hooters sponsor appearance.

June 1995: Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Over Unsolicited Faxes

In June 1995, Sam Nicholson filed a class-action lawsuit against Hooters of Augusta Inc. for violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by sending unsolicited advertising faxes.

October 1996: Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Sara Steinhoff worked at Hooters between October 1996 and October 1997.

1996: First Miss Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant

Since 1996, Hooters has held the Miss Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant, a competition of Hooters Girls from around the world.

October 1997: Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Sara Steinhoff worked at Hooters between October 1996 and October 1997.

1997: Settlement in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

In 1997, three men who sued Hooters for gender discrimination after being denied employment were awarded $19,100 each. Four men in Maryland received $10,350 each. The settlement allowed Hooters to continue gender-restricted hiring for wait staff but required the creation of support jobs filled without regard to gender.

2000: Hooters Ordered to Pay $275,000 in Harassment Lawsuit

In 2000, a federal jury ordered Hooters to pay $275,000 to former waitress Sara Steinhoff, who alleged sexual harassment and demeaning behavior during her employment between October 1996 and October 1997.

2001: Lawsuit over "Toy Yoda" Prize

In 2001, Jodee Berry, a waitress at a Hooters in Panama City Beach, Florida, sued Gulf Coast Wings after winning a beer sales contest where the promised prize was a new Toyota but she received a "toy Yoda" as an April Fool's Day joke. Berry later reached a settlement.

2001: Hooters Pays $11 Million in Fax Lawsuit

In 2001, a jury determined that Hooters of Augusta Inc. willfully violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by sending unsolicited advertising faxes, resulting in Hooters of America Inc. paying out $11 million.

2002: Brooks Gains Majority Control

In 2002, Robert H. Brooks acquired majority control of Hooters and became chairman, expanding the brand to over 425 stores worldwide.

2003: End of Hooters Sponsorship in NASCAR

In 2003, Hooters ended its involvement in NASCAR after sponsoring various drivers.

2004: Secret Filming of Job Applicants

In 2004, it was discovered that job applicants to a Hooters in West Covina, California, were secretly filmed while undressing, resulting in a civil suit and additional employee training.

February 2, 2006: Hooters Casino Hotel Opens

On February 2, 2006, the Hooters Casino Hotel opened off the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, near the Tropicana.

July 15, 2006: Death of Robert H. Brooks

Robert H. Brooks, chairman of Hooters of America Inc., died of a heart attack on July 15, 2006, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and left the majority of the company to his son and daughter.

October 2006: Smoking Gun Publishes Hooters Employee Handbook

Prior to October 2006, The Smoking Gun published an older version of the Hooters Employee Handbook.

2006: Buyers Show Interest After Brooks' Death

Following Robert Brooks' death in 2006, numerous buyers expressed interest in Hooters of America Inc., leading to a selection process before Wellspring Capital Management was chosen.

2007: Campaign in Support of Breast Cancer Research

Following the 2007 death of Kelly Jo Dowd, Hooters started a campaign supporting breast cancer research through the Kelly Jo Dowd Fund.

2007: Hooters Returns to NASCAR

In 2007, Hooters returned to NASCAR to sponsor a Craftsman Truck Series team led by Jason White, Derrike Cope and Brad Keselowski.

February 13, 2008: Death of Thomas J. Valentine

Navy SEAL Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas J. Valentine was killed during a training exercise on February 13, 2008.

September 2009: EEOC Lawsuit Against Hooters Air

In September 2009, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against a North Carolina charter airline (formerly Hooters Air) on behalf of Chau Nguyen, alleging racial discrimination.

2009: Hooters Partners with Operation Homefront

In 2009, Hooters partnered with Operation Homefront to establish The Valentine Fund in honor of Thomas J. Valentine, supporting families of US Special Forces service members.

May 2010: Lawsuit Over Employee Performance Review

In May 2010, a lawsuit was filed against Hooters in Michigan after an employee was given a job performance review and was told that her shirt and short size could use some improvement. The suit was settled out of court.

December 1, 2010: Chanticleer Blocks Sale

On December 1, 2010, Chanticleer Holdings LLC blocked the sale of Hooters of America Inc., leading to Chanticleer and other investors purchasing the company from the Brooks family.

2010: Hooters Raises Over $2 Million

By 2010, Hooters had raised over $2 million for breast cancer research through the Kelly Jo Dowd Fund.

2010: Miss Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant and First African-American Winner

In 2010, the Miss Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant took place in Hollywood, Florida, and LeAngela Davis of Columbus, Ohio, became the first African-American woman to win the pageant.

2010: NOW Complaint Against Hooters

In 2010, the Orange County National Organization for Women (NOW) and other California chapters filed a complaint against Hooters, criticizing them for advertising as a "family restaurant" while basing their business on female sex appeal and potentially discriminating in hiring.

January 2011: Purchase of Hooters of America Completed

In January 2011, Chanticleer and other investors finalized the purchase of Hooters of America Inc. from the Brooks family.

2011: Hooters Sues Twin Peaks Franchise Group

In 2011, Hooters filed a lawsuit against the Twin Peaks franchise group, alleging that former Hooters executives stole trade secrets and management documents when they started the new restaurant chain.

2011: Hooters in Video Games

In 2011, Hooters' brand appeared in the video game "Homefront", alongside other real-world brands. Hooters also licensed its name for the "Hooters Road Trip PlayStation racing game".

2012: Hooters Expands Locations

In 2012, Hooters had locations in 44 US states, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and 28 other countries, demonstrating its widespread presence.

2012: Employee Files Suit After Contracting Tuberculosis

In 2012, Jheri Stratton, a former employee, filed a lawsuit after contracting tuberculosis from one of her managers.

2012: Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

In 2012, Kisuk Cha, a Korean American immigrant, sued Hooters for racial discrimination after noticing a racial slur printed on a cash register receipt.

2012: Hooters Sponsors Wing Eating Championship

Since 2012, Hooters has sponsored the Major League Eating-sanctioned "Hooters Worldwide Wing Eating Championship".

July 2013: Hooters Restaurant Count

As of July 2013, Hooters of America owned 160 restaurants and operated or franchised over 430 locations.

August 2013: Farryn Johnson Terminated

In August 2013, Farryn Johnson was terminated from Hooters after being told she could not have blonde highlights in her hair, leading to a racial discrimination complaint.

2013: Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Dismissed

In 2013, the racial discrimination case filed against Hooters in 2012 was dismissed.

April 2, 2015: Farryn Johnson Awarded $250,000 in Discrimination Case

On April 2, 2015, former Hooters employee Farryn Johnson was awarded $250,000 after an arbitrator determined that racial discrimination contributed to her termination.

2016: Hooters Global Presence

As of 2016, Hooters had over 430 locations and franchises worldwide, with Hooters of America LLC owning 160 units.

2016: Hooters Makes Cup Series Comeback

For the 2016 Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Hooters made a Cup Series comeback with a one-off paint scheme for Greg Biffle.

May 2017: Paul "PJ" Cagnina Obtains Settlement

In May 2017, Paul "PJ" Cagnina, who alleged sexual harassment while working for Hooters, obtained a settlement.

September 11, 2017: Jade Velez Files Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Hooters

On September 11, 2017, Jade Velez, a former Hooters waitress, filed a lawsuit against Hooters alleging workplace sexual assault by a former kitchen employee.

2017: Hooters Sponsors Chase Elliott

From 2017 to 2024, Hooters sponsored Chase Elliott's No. 9 car in NASCAR.

2017: Launch of "Hoots" Fast Casual Spinoff

In 2017, Hooters launched "Hoots", a fast casual spinoff with a reduced menu and modestly dressed male and female servers.

July 1, 2019: Hooters Sold to New Owners

On July 1, 2019, Hooters was sold to Nord Bay Capital and TriArtisan Capital Advisors.

July 16, 2019: Scott Peterson Reaches Settlement with Hooters

On July 16, 2019, Scott Peterson, who alleged sexual harassment while working for Hooters, reached a settlement with the restaurant chain in Los Angeles Superior Court.

2019: Hooters Casino Hotel Rebrands as Oyo Hotel & Casino

In 2019, the Hooters Casino Hotel was rebranded as the Oyo Hotel & Casino, though the Hooters restaurant on the property remained open.

July 2020: Velez Lawsuit Outcome Pending

As of July 2020, the outcome of Jade Velez's lawsuit against Hooters, alleging workplace sexual assault, was still pending.

June 2024: Hooters Closes Underperforming Locations

In June 2024, Hooters closed approximately 40 underperforming locations, citing rising costs and declining sales as the reason.

August 22, 2024: Hendrick Motorsports Sues Hooters

On August 22, 2024, Hendrick Motorsports of NASCAR announced they would sue Hooters for $1.705 million plus unpaid sponsorship fees.

2024: End of Hooters Sponsorship of Chase Elliott

In 2024 Hooters ended the sponsorship of Chase Elliott's No. 9 car in NASCAR.

February 21, 2025: Report of Possible Bankruptcy Filing

On February 21, 2025, reports indicated that Hooters was preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the coming months, following prior closures in 2024 and revenue losses.