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Hooters Is Closing Restaurants Including Tampa Bay

Author KC

The iconic restaurant started in Clearwater 1983 and has grown to more than 420 locations worldwide. But just like other restaurant chains, Hooters is closing a bunch of restaurant locations including what locals think is the second Hooters location ever made.

They said in a statement “Like many restaurants under pressure from current market conditions, Hooters has made the difficult decision to close a select number of underperforming stores.” Curbside Pickup and delivery services really took a hit on many restaurants throughout the country, but can these closings help current restaurants?

Related: The 5 Best Fast Food French Fries

Hooters hasn’t released an official list of the closing restaurants, but according to News Press.com about 40 restaurant locations closed around the country, including at least four in Florida and six in Texas.

This past Sunday employees showed up to work at the location in Lakeland. This is said to be the second location ever, which opened in 1984 and they found that the restaurant was closed.

Tampa Bay Hooters Locations That Are Still Open:

  • Clearwater, 2800 Gulf to Bay Blvd (the original)
  • Clearwater Beach, 381 Mandalay Ave
  • Lakeland II, 3400 US Hwy 98 N
  • Madiera Beach, 192 Johns Pass, Boardwalk Pl W
  • Port Richey, 5336 Treadway Dr
  • Spring Hill, 3437 Commercial Way
  • St. Petersburg, 4125 4th St N
  • Tampa, 4215 W. Hillsborough Ave
  • Tampa North, 13606 Bruce B Downs Blvd
  • South Tampa, 4420 West Gandy Blvd

The History Behind The Legendary Hooters Restaurant Chain

The chain started in 1983 right here in Clearwater. The restaurant featured attractive waitresses often referred to as “Hooters Girls” wear white tank tops with tiny orange shorts. The chain quickly grew opening locations all over the US including restaurants in 29 countries. Besides serving up great bar food, Hooters also has an annual Hooters Girls calendar and the Miss Hooters Pageant.

Born and raised in St. Pete, KC loves sports, country music, having some cold ones, and spending time with family & friends. KC has been in radio since 2000 and currently hosts the afternoon drive show from 3p-8p Monday – Friday on 99.5 QYK. You can find KC's content about local events, Tampa sports teams, and crazy Florida man/woman stories.

5 Restaurants That Need To Open Locations In Tampa

It’s no secret that we have some of the best dining options in the Tampa Bay area. And it seems like more and more companies are expanding to the southeast/Florida in general. But there are a handful of really great restaurants that are missing in our area. Whether it’s fast food or a sit-down restaurant, we think these restaurants need to make their way to Tampa.

One honorary mention that we left off the list is Del Taco. There’s a location in Orlando that we always stop at whenever we go to the theme parks or a concert. Earlier this year the news broke that the Tampa Bay area could possibly be getting several Del Taco locations. But things have been quiet since a press release went out earlier this year. Other big chains that have made their way to Tampa include Dave’s Hot Chicken, Dutch Bros (coming soon), Raising Cane’s, and a few others.

When you travel to other states do you try to stick with restaurants you know? Or are you willing to try something new? We’ve tried all the places on our list and have wished we would see a Tampa location open ever since. Even though we always try to eat at local restaurants in Tampa, sometimes it’s easier to order takeout or visit a drive-thru. One of the biggest requests in the Tampa area is In-N-Out. Although some may see the burger chain as over-hyped, we think a Tampa location would do really well. Any places we missed on our list? Feel free to shout it out on social media and maybe we’ll add it! We got our inspiration from Creative Loafing after we noticed a few places on their list have made it to Tampa.

Here Are 5 Restaurants That Need To Open Locations In The Tampa Bay Area

  • In-N-Out

    Obviously the first on our list is In-N-Out. Everyone has their own opinion on the west coast burger chain. Some think it’s overrated, and some think it’s the best fast-food burger out there.

    in.n.out

  • Cook Out

    We’re surprised that one of the biggest fast-food chains in the south hasn’t made it’s way to Florida AT ALL! Cook Out has a stacked menu of everything you could want with those old school fast food prices. Plus they have over 30 milkshake flavors. Can we start a petition to bring Cook Out to Tampa?

  • Giordano’s

    This is for all the deep dish pizza lovers. Although there are some great local spots that make an awesome deep dish pie, nothing beats Giordano’s. They do ship frozen pizzas across the country but we need a Tampa location!

  • Bojangles

    We get that we have Chick-Fil-A, Popeye’s, Zaxby’s, Raising Canes, etc. But would one more chicken restaurant really hurt? There are already a handful of locations in Florida, but the closest one to Tampa is in Sanford, just a little north of Orlando.

  • Snooze Eatery

    This breakfast place is SO good! We are BEGGING for a Florida location, even if it means we have take a drive from Tampa. Snooze Eatery is spread across the southern half of the U.S. with locations in Colorado, Texas, Arizona, California, and even Georgia.

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