Popular Hooters restaurant closes after 20 years in business – leaving just one restaurant in the entire state
Hooters is closing one of its most popular locations after 20 years, leaving just one location remaining in the state.
The popular chain is closing its Manchester location after two decades, leaving just one in Connecticut.
“After nearly two decades of hot wings, cold beer and great memories, Hooters of Manchester has made the difficult decision to close its doors,” the restaurant announced on social media.
“Thank you for your many years of patronage and loyalty,” he added.
The last remaining Connecticut restaurant is in Wethersfield, but Manchester employees will be transferred to the restaurant in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Hooters is closing its Manchester branch after twenty years
The decision comes after the chain announced the abrupt closure of forty stores across the country last month.
They included locations in Florida, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.
Local customers reacted to the closure by commenting on the venue’s Facebook post.
“Thanks for all the memories!” wrote one customer.
‘Oh man. I had some great memories. Watching WWE ppv’s, the wings, and of course those beautiful Hooters Girls!’ another added.
Despite the closures, bosses insisted the 41-year-old brand “remains highly resilient and relevant” and highlighted a new range of Hooters frozen foods being sold in supermarkets across America.
“Like many restaurants under pressure from current market conditions, Hooters has made the difficult decision to close a select number of underperforming stores,” a spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
‘We look forward to continuing to serve our customers at home, on the go, and in our restaurants here in the U.S. and around the world.’
Hooters will have about 300 restaurants globally after the closures. That’s down from 333 in 2018, according to Techonomic.
In addition to being known for its scantily clad waitresses, Hooters also bills itself as “the original American chicken wing restaurant” and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023.
Last May alone, the company opened restaurants: three in Las Vegas and three in Florida.
The first Hooters opened in Clearwater, Florida in 1983. The restaurant — nicknamed the “breastaurant” in the ’90s — was initially created as a joke.
Conceived by the now famous “Hooters Six”, who had no restaurant experience and were even arrested for posing as restaurant owners, Hooters underwent significant changes and achieved magnificent success.
Hooters recently closed about 40 restaurants
The first Hooters opened in Clearwater, Florida in 1983.
Created by the now famous ‘Hooters Six’, who had no restaurant experience and were even arrested for impersonating restaurant owners, Hooters has undergone significant changes
The sports-style bar, founded in Clearwater in 1983 (pictured), celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023 – but the restaurant was initially conceived as a joke
The founders included LD Stewart, a painting contractor; Gil DiGiannantonio, a liquor salesman; Ranieri, known as Uncle Billy, a retired gas station owner; Ed Droste, a real estate executive; Dennis Johnson, a bricklayer by trade; and Ken Wimmer, a partner in the painting business of the LD Strange group.
And while they were excited about the venture, the six didn’t expect the restaurant to last.
When Hooters exploded in popularity, it spawned an entire entity — putting its name on calendars, casinos, airlines, NASCAR races, and even products in supermarkets.
But the chain’s success has not been without controversy, including gender discrimination in the 1990s, studies into waiters’ mental health and complaints about poor uniforms.
