On October 21, 2026, Hooters confirmed the permanent closure of two of its highest-profile urban restaurants on the same day: the River North Chicago location that had operated since 1991, and two metro Atlanta sites in Kennesaw and Conyers. The closures bring the U.S. footprint of the franchise brand to roughly 175 locations, down from a peak of 400 in 2008.
Hooters of America filed for bankruptcy in 2025. The brand’s original founders subsequently reclaimed control, and CEO Neil Kiefer took the helm of the restructured company. Since then, Hooters has closed more than 55 U.S. locations in 2026 alone, according to data cited by The Street.
The chain has fully exited at least four states: Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Minnesota. The most recent October closures add to a pattern that shows the brand shrinking rapidly while its leadership describes the process as a path to stability.
Chicago and Atlanta: Two Urban Markets Exit on the Same Day
The Chicago closure ends a 35-year run at 660 N. Wells Street in River North, one of the city’s most visited entertainment districts. The operator cited “neighborhood changes and development” as the reason, without providing further detail.
13 franchise restaurants remain in the greater Chicago area, along with two Hoots Wings units. In metro Atlanta, the locations at Old Highway 41 in Kennesaw and Iris Drive in Conyers have permanently closed. Two Hooters remain in the metro area: one in Cartersville on Joe Frank Harris Pkwy, and one near the Mall of Georgia in Buford. CEO Kiefer confirmed the Atlanta closures and said they reflect the post-bankruptcy restructuring process, not the performance of the staff or communities involved.
55 Closures in 2026, Four States Fully Exited
The scale of Hooters’ contraction in 2026 is significant by any measure. More than 55 U.S. locations have closed since January, and the brand has disappeared entirely from Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Minnesota. Jacksonville, Florida, lost its last Hooters earlier in October.
According to Restaurant Business, the company flagged approximately 40 of the 110 locations it took over during the bankruptcy transition as “challenging,” roughly a dozen of those have since closed, and 10 to 12 additional closures are expected within 30 to 60 days. The brand’s U.S. restaurant count, at its nadir, could dip closer to 160 locations before the contraction stabilizes.
Hooters U.S. locations today, down from 400 at peak
The brand operated 400 domestic restaurants in 2008. More than 55 have closed in 2026 alone, with 10 to 12 additional closures expected in the near term. (Sources: Restaurant Business, The Street, 2026)
The “Re-Hooterize” Plan: Back to the Original Formula
Kiefer has framed the post-bankruptcy strategy around what the company calls “re-Hooterizing” its locations: restoring the original butter-based wing sauce, returning to more modest uniforms, and rebuilding the beach-bar culture that defined the brand in its founding years. The company is also actively recruiting new franchisees and has announced a movie project about the Hooters brand.
Kiefer said the current round of closures “does not signal profit or decline,” and that the company’s commitment to its remaining locations remains unchanged. Whether the strategy can stabilize a brand that has shed more than half its peak U.S. footprint in less than two decades is a question the industry is watching closely.
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