FILE - Hooters Restaurant on December 31, 2015, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Hooters is closing several "underperforming" restaurants across the U.S., joining a growing list of dining chains facing tough times thanks to inflation and American consumers changing their spending habits.
The Atlanta-based chain confirmed to FOX Television Stations that it is closing "a select number" of U.S. locations.
"Like many restaurants under pressure from current market conditions, Hooters has made the difficult decision to close a select number of underperforming stores," the company said in a statement. "Ensuring the well-being of our staff is our priority in these rare instances."
Hooters restaurant closing locations
Nation’s Restaurant News on Monday reported that about 40 U.S. locations have been shuttered.
The publication cited several local news reports of abrupt closures, including Louisville, Kentucky, and Bryan, Texas, which began spreading on Sunday evening.
Hooters has seen a 12% decline in the number of restaurants since 2018, Nation’s Restaurant News reported, citing data from restaurant consulting firm Technomic.
Despite the drop in the number of stores, Hooters is optimistic about the future of the restaurant, which features scantily clad women who serve chicken wings, beer and more.
"With new Hooters restaurants opening domestically and internationally, new Hooters frozen products launching at grocery stores, and the Hooters footprint expanding into new markets with both company and franchise locations, this brand of 41 years remains highly resilient and relevant," the restaurant told the publication. "We look forward to continuing to serve our guests at home, on the go and at our restaurants here in the U.S. and around the globe."
Hooters joins growing list of restaurant closures
Hooters is one of several dining chains facing the harsh realities of inflation in the U.S.
Seafood chain Red Lobster announced in May it would be "auctioning off 50+ locations across the country," just days before filing for bankruptcy.
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Red Lobster files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Axios reporter Richard Collings joins LiveNOW's Andrew Craft to dissect Red Lobster's decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
TGI Fridays also abruptly shuttered dozens of underperforming restaurants across the country in January.
FOX Business contributed to this report. It was reported from Cincinnati.