Hooters, the iconic restaurant chain, is working to reshape its public image by dialing back its oversexualized reputation and focusing on hospitality, food, and community involvement. The company’s CEO, Neil Kiefer, stated that the goal is to return Hooters to its roots and appeal to a broader customer base, including families and younger customers.

South Florida Locations Set the Tone

In South Florida, Hooters locations have always been operated by the original ownership group and have maintained a more family-friendly atmosphere. Servers at these locations, such as Gracie Williams and Micayla Williams, claim that they have been serving families and children all along, and that nothing is changing for them.

Gracie Williams, a 24-year-old waitress and bartender, said, ‘We are the same Hooters girls that we have been from the start.’ Micayla Williams, 21, echoed this sentiment, stating, ‘Nothing’s really changed for our locations. We get families. We get elderly people. We get teenagers, even kids.’

Community Involvement

The Hooters girls in South Florida emphasize the importance of community involvement, citing the company’s fundraising events, which donate a portion of sales to local charities and youth sports organizations. Gracie Williams recalled hosting dozens of rugby players and multiple teams at one recent fundraiser, saying that these events reinforce the restaurant’s role in the community.

As Hooters works to convince a new generation of customers that it’s more than its decades-old stereotype, the women working at its South Florida restaurants insist that it’s just business as usual. They point to the restaurant’s customer mix as evidence that the perception of Hooters often differs from reality, with families making up a significant portion of the crowd during the day, particularly at beach locations.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.