Hooters Closes Last Jacksonville Location Amid Chain-Wide Restructuring

Hooters has closed its last remaining restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, a location that had operated for nearly four decades. The closure of the San Jose Boulevard establishment follows a pattern of dwindling locations for the iconic chain, which underwent a significant restructuring after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2025.

The Jacksonville restaurant, opened in 1986, was the sole Hooters in the city's metropolitan area, according to local reports. Its closure leaves Daytona Beach as the northernmost Hooters location on Florida's Atlantic coast.

This is not an isolated event for the chain. In September, the Hooters in Panama City Beach, Florida, shuttered after more than 30 years of operation. Separately, a Hooters in Hickory, North Carolina, also closed its doors in late September. Earlier in 2026, the Boca Raton, Florida, Hooters closed in February after 16 years due to a landlord declining to renew the lease.

These closures are part of broader efforts by Hooters to reorient its business model. Following its bankruptcy, the company aimed to return to its franchise-focused roots and reduce its physical footprint. Hooters Inc. CEO Neil Kiefer had previously suggested that the brand had become over-sexualized and expressed a desire to re-emphasize food and hospitality to appeal to a wider demographic, including families and younger customers.

Despite the restructuring and attempts to refocus the brand, individual restaurant closures have continued into 2026. The Hooters in Fayetteville, North Carolina, closed in May after opening in 1994, and the Mall of America location in Minnesota closed in March after 33 years.

However, the chain has also seen some new openings and planned expansions. The Villages in Florida, a retirement community, welcomed a new Hooters location in July 2025, marking the first new restaurant since the bankruptcy restructuring. A new location is also planned for Lutz, near Tampa, Florida.

Hooters of America filed for bankruptcy in March 2025 due to debt and evolving consumer habits. After Clearwater, Florida-based Hooters Inc. and another franchise ownership group took control, dozens of restaurants across multiple states were closed as part of restructuring efforts. In June 2025, the company announced the closure of a "select number" of restaurants, characterizing such decisions as difficult.