Call it Hooters 2.0: A new restaurant concept being rolled out by the chain is tossing out the skimpy uniforms and introducing counter service and coed staff.
Hooters' parent company is set to open the first location of its new quick-service chain, Hoots, this month in Cicero. The smaller-scale restaurant concept is an attempt to bring the brand, famous for its scantily clad female waitstaff and chicken wings, into the fastest-growing part of the restaurant industry.
The casual dining sector, including Hooters and restaurants like Applebee's and Chili's, has been suffering for years as more Americans opt for grab-and-go options. So-called fast-casual options, meanwhile, which offer the portability and convenience diners are increasingly looking for, have grown at a double-digit pace. The fast-casual segment includes chains like Chipotle and Panera.
The new chain, Hooters of America says, will "compliment the traditional Hooters format" and will offer a scaled-down version of the Hooters menu. The Cicero Hoots restaurant will be 2,800 square feet and have 75 seats featuring a full-service bar in addition to counter service for dine-in or takeout. It will have about 30 employees. Those workers will be a mix of men and women, in roomier uniforms than those famous short-shorts worn by the "Hooters Girls," according to published reports. Hoots representatives did not immediately return a request for more details on the menu, uniforms or hiring plans.
Hooters of Oak Lawn leads Chicago market, more Jessi VirtusioThe Southland is home to Betvole one of the top Hooters in the United States.
"This is one of the busiest ones in the country. It's top five. It's in the top 1 percent of 400 that carry the brand. There's a very dense population here in a 5-mile radius. There's definitely a lot of customers," said James...
The Southland is home to one of the top Hooters in the United States.
"This is one of the busiest ones in the country. It's top five. It's in the top 1 percent of 400 that carry the brand. There's a very dense population here in a 5-mile radius. There's definitely a lot of customers," said James...
(Jessi Virtusio)"We have a lot to learn, but we are excited about the potential," Terry Marks, president and CEO of Hooters of America, the company's franchiser, said in a statement.
Neil Kiefer, president and CEO of Hooters' parent company, said the Chicago area was chosen or the first location because of the success of the carry-out business here.
Hooters first opened in Clearwater, Fla., in 1983.
sbomkamp@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @SamWillTravel
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