Hooters has permanently closed its final Jacksonville, Florida location on San Jose Boulevard, ending four decades of service there. This closure is part of ongoing changes following the restaurant chain’s bankruptcy restructuring.
The Jacksonville location first opened in 1986 and was reported as the last Hooters in the area by WJXT-TV. The absence of this restaurant leaves a gap in Hooters’ presence in northeast Florida. The northernmost Hooters on Florida’s Atlantic coast is now in Daytona Beach, according to the company’s online locator.
Other longstanding Florida locations have also shut down. The Panama City Beach Hooters closed in September 2025 after over 30 years, leaving only the Pensacola Beach location in the Panhandle. In a similar trend, a Hooters in Hickory, North Carolina closed in late September, as detailed by the U.S. Sun.
Earlier in the year, the Boca Raton Hooters, which was popular on social media, closed after 16 years when its lease was not renewed. This created a gap of 150 miles without a Hooters between Fort Lauderdale and West Melbourne along Florida’s Atlantic coast.
These closures are part of Hooters’ restructuring that began after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2025. The restructuring aimed to address financial challenges and adjust to changing consumer preferences. The Clearwater, Florida-based Hooters Inc., alongside a franchise group, took control, leading to the closure of several restaurants.
In June 2025, Hooters announced plans to close specific locations to streamline operations, highlighting that closing restaurants is difficult but necessary. The company plans to focus on a franchise-operated business model, returning to its founding principles.
Hooters Inc. CEO Neil Kiefer mentioned a shift to emphasize food and family-friendly hospitality over a previously perceived oversexualization. Despite restructuring efforts, individual Hooters locations continue to close. The Fayetteville, North Carolina restaurant, which began in 1994, closed in May, and the Mall of America location in Minnesota shut down after 33 years in March.
While closing locations, Hooters has also introduced new spots, such as one in The Villages, Florida, opened with significant enthusiasm in July 2025. Another is planned for Lutz, near Tampa, as per the Hooters website.