Hooters announced the permanent closure of its Jacksonville restaurant on San Jose Boulevard, ending a 40‑year presence in the city. The venue, which opened in 1986, was the last Hooters serving the Jacksonville area.

Impact on Florida’s Atlantic coast

With the Jacksonville outlet gone, the chain now has no locations in northeast Florida. The nearest Hooters on the Atlantic coast is in Daytona Beach, according to the company’s online locator.

Recent closures have also hit other longtime Florida sites. The Hooters in Panama City Beach shut its doors in September after more than three decades, and the Boca Raton location closed in February after a 16‑year run when its landlord refused to renew the lease. Those losses leave Pensacola Beach as the only remaining Hooters in the Florida Panhandle.

Broader restructuring continues

Hooters of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2025, citing debt and shifting consumer habits. After a new franchise‑operated model was adopted, dozens of restaurants across multiple states were closed as part of the restructuring plan.

In June 2025, the company announced a “select number” of closures, describing the decisions as “never easy.” CEO Neil Kiefer said the brand had become over‑sexualized and that the new strategy would refocus on food and hospitality, aiming to broaden appeal to families and younger guests.

New openings offset some losses

Despite the closures, Hooters has opened a new restaurant in The Villages, a retirement community northwest of Orlando, in July 2025. A second Florida location in Lutz, near Tampa, is slated to open soon, according to the Hooters website.

Other recent shutdowns include the Fayetteville, North Carolina restaurant (opened 1994) and the Mall of America outlet in Minnesota, which closed after 33 years. The chain’s footprint continues to shrink, but the company remains committed to a franchise‑focused model that returns Hooters to its original roots.

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