Hooters® Marks 40th Anniversary Month with New Corporate Store Opening in East El Paso

Iconic Full-Service Restaurant Brand Prioritizes U.S. Development Amid Milestone Year

ATLANTA, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hooters^®, the original American wing joint, celebrates its 40^th anniversary month with the opening of its newest corporate location in East El Paso. Conveniently located at 1799 Joe Battle Boulevard, this newly renovated 7,000 sq. ft.-plus conversion store marks the 52^nd Hooters restaurant in the Lone Star state and second in El Paso.

A grand opening ceremony took place on Oct. 16 with a formal ribbon cutting, charitable initiatives, and more, as Hooters opens its doors to the community.

Company leadership is honing in on U.S. development via company-owned locations and franchisee growth with prime territories available across the country. Key to Hooters' growth strategy is the opportunity that lies within second generation real estate. Simple kitchen operations and equipment as well as flexible floorplans makes the Hooters build an ideal fit for conversion opportunities. With second generation real estate, franchisees can take advantage of reduced build-out costs, a minimized construction timeline, and enter saturated markets with ease. 

"Our business model is a well-oiled machine – it's worked really well for 40 years – and we plan to continue expanding our domestic footprint with company-owned and franchisee-owned stores," said Michael Arrowsmith, Chief Development Officer of HOA Brands, parent company to Hooters & Hoots Wings. "We believe a franchisor should have skin in the game, and we don't ask franchisees to make large capital investments, like opening stores, that we're not willing to do ourselves.  We're confident in our investments, believe our franchisees are equally confident, and know first-hand the challenges of making those investments and the ongoing support that comes with it. Hooters' franchise partners know that what works for the company-owned stores also works for their restaurants – we have gone through exactly what they're going through. This validation and shared mentality translate to strong performance."

Hooters next corporate owned location, underway in Corpus Chrisi, TX, will be opening in early 2024. However, the fastest segment of unit growth is franchisee-operated stores and close to 50% of the Hooters locations world-wide are franchisee-operated.

Hooters provides a full development support system, including technology and tools to help identify the right territories for expansion, plus expertise in financing, real estate, construction management, and field operations to assist franchisees and multi-unit operators. With 40 years of experience in helping franchisees thrive with proven sales and operations performance, eager and sophisticated entrepreneurs can take advantage of available territories open for expansion.

The rising success of Hooters has not gone unnoticed, as the brand was ranked on Franchise Time's 2023 Top 400, Nation's Restaurant News 2022 Top 500 list, and was named a Restaurant Power Player to watch in 2022 by FSR Magazine. Hooters was an early adopter of third-party delivery, leaned heavily into virtual brand offerings, and has taken bold moves to enhance its in-person dining experience through formal partnerships with DraftKings and PointsBet.

Hooters has earned its standing as an icon brand known for its famed Hooters Original Wings and popular Hooters Girl^® waitstaff. Hooters Restaurants have long been among the most well-known neighborhood destinations for food, fun and sports viewing.

For more information on the Hooters franchise opportunity, visit Hootersfranchise.com.

About Hooters of America, LLC
Hooters of America, LLC, is the franchisor and operator of more than 360 Hooters restaurants in 36 states and 17 countries. Known for its world-famous Hooters Style chicken wings, the first Hooters opened its doors in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida. Expectations were so modest at the time that the simple fact the doors opened was deemed worthy of a toast. Since then, millions have been liberated from the ordinary at Hooters while enjoying great food, fun and one-of-a-kind hospitality that can only be served up by the Hooters Girls. For more information about Hooters visit www.hooters.com or follow us at twitter.com/hooters, facebook.com/hooters, instagram.com/hooters or on Snapchat at "hooters."

MEDIA CONTACT: Kelly Hammond, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected], 847-945-1300

SOURCE Hooters