What is happening to Hooters? More Florida locations close

Just days after Hooters closed its last restaurant in Jacksonville, three more locations have shut down in Central Florida, raising new questions about the future of the once-popular restaurant chain.

Hooters, the Florida-born restaurant chain famous for its chicken wings, sports-bar atmosphere and distinctive orange branding, continues to lose locations across the state.

According to a report published Friday, October 9, by the Orlando Business Journal, three additional Hooters restaurants have closed in Central Florida. The latest shutdowns leave the chain with just four locations in the region and no remaining restaurants in Osceola or Volusia counties.

Another Florida Community Says Goodbye After 35 Years

One of the latest closures is in Daytona Beach, where Hooters operated for more than 35 years.

The restaurant at 2100 W. International Speedway Boulevard has permanently closed, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Its closure means Volusia County no longer has a Hooters restaurant, forcing longtime customers to travel elsewhere, including Orlando, to visit the chain.

Jacksonville Already Lost Its Last Hooters

The latest closures come shortly after Jacksonville lost its final Hooters restaurant.

The location at 8938 San Jose Boulevard, which had operated for approximately 40 years, permanently shut its doors in late September or early October.

The Jacksonville restaurant had recently faced health inspection problems. Florida state records show that inspectors ordered operations stopped on September 30 after identifying two high-priority violations.

The closure followed previous Hooters shutdowns at Jacksonville’s Tinseltown area, Orange Park and the former Jacksonville Landing.

Why Are Hooters Restaurants Closing?

The continuing closures come as Hooters undergoes a major restructuring following years of financial difficulties.

Hooters of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2025 as it sought to address financial challenges and reorganize its operations.

In October 2025, the company’s original founding group completed a deal to regain control of much of the Hooters restaurant business.

The new ownership announced plans to restore the chain’s original identity, improve food quality, simplify menus and rebuild relationships with customers.

Despite those efforts, the latest Florida closures suggest the company’s restaurant network is continuing to contract. The specific reasons for each newly closed location have not all been publicly established.

Is Hooters Disappearing From Florida?

Not entirely.

Hooters still operates restaurants across Florida, including in the Tampa Bay and Orlando areas.

However, the loss of longtime locations in Jacksonville and Daytona Beach shows how dramatically the chain’s presence has changed in communities where it once operated for decades.

For many customers, the question is no longer simply where the nearest Hooters restaurant is located, but whether more familiar locations could disappear in the months ahead.