Hooters Suddenly Shutters Dozens Of Restaurants, Including Ones In Illinois And Wisconsin

The chain filed for bankruptcy this year.

Hooters, the orange home of wings and women, has suddenly closed dozens of their restaurants in what they're calling a "difficult decision".

USA Today reports that the chain has been suddenly shuttering restaurants since last year. There are 305 Hooters locations, with 151 of those owned and operated by the company and the other 154 of them being run by franchisees.

Among the latest closures are the Hooters in Rockford and evidently, the Hooters in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Madison one hasn't been officially announced but the location page is no longer active on Hooter's website and USA Today figured out their phone number rings without answer.

Midwest Hooters that have also been reported closed are the ones in:

• Lafayette, Indiana
• Evansville, Indiana
• Detroit, Michigan

Other Midwest locations that Hooters confirmed shuttered are:

• Greenwood, Indiana
• Flint, Michigan
• Taylor, Michigan
• St. Louis, Missouri (downtown location)

The company has also suddenly closed 4 Florida locations, 4 Georgia locations, 1 Kentucky location, 3 in the Carolinas, 3 in Tennessee, and 3 in Texas.

When Hooters filed for bankruptcy in late March, they didn't mention closing restaurants as a result of it. In fact, a statement on the company's website says:

Hooters is here to stay, and with a stronger financial foundation and streamlined operations on the other side of this process, we will be well-positioned to continue delivering the guest-obsessed hospitality experience and delicious food our valued customers and communities have come to expect well into the future

Hooters is trying to re-brand themselves as a family-friendly restaurant. It's called "re-hooterization", and involves things like phasing out bikini nights and "retire the brand's more controversial features".

It's been a topic for years if 'breastaurants' (like Hooters) have run their course in popularity. But some argue they will never go away. Twin Peaks, a restaurant similar to Hooters, is expanding with more locations.