Hooters is gearing up for a significant resurgence, and according to the new CEO, its future hinges on a spicy element.

Established 42 years ago, this well-known chain boasts 420 locations across 42 states. It was a staple of American dining culture in the late 1990s.

Their iconic waitstaff, outfitted in signature low-cut white tops and snug orange shorts, catered to NASCAR aficionados and beer enthusiasts with a straightforward menu. By 2009, the brand’s worth soared to $1.2 billion.

However, the quirky restaurant has encountered tougher times recently.

Hooters of America, responsible for managing the bulk of the chain’s U.S. locations, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March. This move aims to reorganize $376 million in debt and close down unprofitable outlets.

Now, Neil Kiefer, CEO of Hooters Inc and a longtime friend of the restaurant’s Florida-based founders, is leading the revival.

His company, which previously ran 20 restaurants, purchased roughly 130 locations out of bankruptcy in October and is now steering the company back to the chain’s original vision.

‘We want to get the brand right again everywhere,’ he told Fox Business. 

The restaurant is rebooting its restaurant designs, fixing its menu, and addressing servers’ concerns about their uniforms

Hooters, the original American ‘breastaurant,’ is trying to stage a comeback by leaning into its iconic past

Kiefer is rolling out a nationwide refresh across about 130 US restaurants and 60 international sites, representing roughly $700 million in annual sales. 

His focus started with the food. Specifically, he narrowed in on the restaurant’s iconic sauce. 

The butter-based sauce — complete with distilled vinegar and red cayenne peppers — was growing inconsistent at different locations before the bankruptcy, Kiefer said. 

‘They had a substitute sauce, which was not the real sauce,’ he told the publication. ‘It’s the craveable thing that makes our food so good.’ 

The menu — which will now feature the legendary hand-breaded wing recipe, Grade AA butter sauces, fresh salads, and wild-caught fish — reflects a streamlined approach to food quality. 

Then, he focused on the server’s outfits. 

Kiefer said several women had expressed embarrassment at the restaurant’s increasingly skimpy work attire, in which managers had asked the women to hike their shorts and shorten their crops. 

He said: ‘They really weren’t given a choice.’

Women say they were asked to wear increasingly skimpier clothes to work: ‘They really weren’t given a choice,’ their new boss said

In 2023, SNL aired a sketch featuring Sydney Sweeney as a Hooters waitress who receives an enormous number of tips playing on the chain’s steamy vibe. The sketch, penned by cast member Chloe Fineman, sparked debate over its sexualized undertone

Marie recommended others apply to the chain while showing off her cash 

Restaurants are also undergoing $300,000 renovations to modernize interiors while keeping the chain’s signature ‘delightfully tacky’ vibe intact. 

For Hooters, the comeback is as much about nostalgia as it is about survival.

The classic uniforms, buttery wings, and kitschy décor that made the chain a household name are back — this time with a more family-friendly, franchise-focused approach. 

Whether the chain can weather a challenging economic climate for mid-tier restaurants remains to be seen, but at least parents won’t need to shield their children’s eyes as the brand flaps back into action.

And while Hooters’ uniforms have long been the subject of fascination and controversy, the chain’s tongue-in-cheek marketing has raked in a killing for its staff. 

Maia Marie, a 24-year-old waitress, shocked her 25,000 social media fans when she raked in a hefty chunk of change on just one half shift.

‘I ended up walking out of there with $451,’ Marie said in a viral TikTok video last year that was viewed 3.8 million times. So, over a full shift, it would likely be double that.’