Duolingo is now available at Hooters stores
Duolingo took over the space occupied by another owl mascot and posted “coming soon” banners at four shuttered Hooters locations.
Hooters is going back to its roots.
The Clearwater, Fla.-based restaurant chain known for its servers known as “Hooters Girls” who wear low-cut tops and shorts is becoming more “family-oriented” after changing ownership last year, according to a statement sent to USA TODAY.
The company insisted the move was not a rebrand, but it comes after its founders bought back most of the restaurant chain last year.
“The original Hooters has always been a family-friendly restaurant, so this isn’t a huge change, but rather a return to who we are,” said company spokeswoman Michela Dellamonica. “Since we regained full control of the brand, we are going ‘back to basics’ with all of our currently owned stores.”
DellaMonica said the transition will include more family-friendly promotions in the coming years, such as children’s sales at restaurants.
Hooters CEO says revealing clothing was ‘not intentional’
In early 2025, Hooters of America, then run by individual franchise operators, filed for bankruptcy and began closing stores across the United States. At the same time, Hooters Inc., another group that includes Hooters’ founder, announced plans to acquire Hooters of America.
The deal includes 140 of the company’s approximately 198 U.S. restaurants and was signed in November.
In recent days, Hooters CEO Neil Kiefer has spoken publicly about the company’s “repurposing.”
Kiefer, who originally joined Hooters as a lawyer and became CEO in the 1990s, said on May 21 that the restaurant is intended to be a “beach-themed place centered around the Hooters girls, good food (and) an easy place to relax.”
He also said Hooters of America’s franchisors have taken the brand in a different direction than the founders originally envisioned.
“They were changing the girls’ uniforms and putting them on almost like thongs,” he said. “And when this concept started, that was never the intention.”
In a May 21 interview with The New York Times, Kiefer also said he is pushing for an end to “bikini night,” where Hooters girls serve customers in swimsuits.
“It’s a topic of discussion right now,” Kiefer told the outlet. “You’ll never see anything like that in our stores, and hopefully we’ll get everyone to match that.”
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. X Keep up with her at @melinakh and on Instagram @bymelinakhan.
