The popular sports-themed restaurant Hooters filed for bankruptcy in March of last year, and ever since, customers have seen some changes.
For example, in an attempt to return the chain to its roots and make it more family-friendly, the chain restaurant brought back its original-style server uniforms, a less revealing look based on what servers wore decades ago.
There have been some changes to the menu as well, according to one former server.
One Florida woman who says she used to work at the chain recently revisited a Hooters location to see whether the menu had gone through a significant overhaul.
In her video, which got over 9,751 views, TikTok creator Leah Fennelly (@leah.fennelly) ordered some of her favorite dishes and compared them with what she remembered.
What Is Different About The Hooters Menu?
“So I have not worked at Hooters in a couple years, but I came back today,” Fennelly says.
She shows her bountiful spread, having ordered 10 wings, curly fries, fried pickles, and a Legendary Margarita before putting the food to the test.
“I have not eaten here since the bankruptcy, so we’re gonna see if the food is good or if it’s different,” she says.
She noticed some differences immediately.
Fennelly ordered curly fries with jalapeño cheese sauce and fried pickles with a dipping sauce that she says didn’t taste like the version she remembered.
“This is way different than what it used to be,” she says of the sauce. “It’s more horseradish than chipotle.”
The wings, however, were a welcome surprise.
After trying the mild flavor, Fennelly says she could taste the return of something she had missed.
“I missed the butter base,” she says. “This is good.”
According to Fennelly, corporate had switched away from the butter-based sauce toward a vinegar-based version near the end of her time working there, and she wasn’t a fan.
Hooters says its revamped menu brought back wing sauces made with Grade AA butter as part of its effort to return the chain to its original recipes.
Fennelly also tried the garlic Parmesan wings, which she seemed to enjoy.
She called the mild wings “a little small,” though overall, the flavors reminded her of the Hooters she remembered.
Did Hooters Change Its Fried Pickles Dipping Sauce?
It’s unclear. Sauces can vary from location to location, and the menu overhaul Hooters underwent last year could have brought some changes with it.
As far as Subplot News can find, the only chipotle sauce the chain currently offers is its Chipotle Honey sauce. However, some locations have announced that they have discontinued it.
Additionally, some Hooters locations give customers two dipping sauce options when they order fried pickles: Ranch or horseradish.
It’s not exactly clear whether other locations use horseradish as the default dipping sauce, whether the Chipotle Honey sauce is still available at some restaurants, or whether any of these differences have anything to do with the chain’s recent bankruptcy filing.
Viewers Compare Hooters Experiences
One commenter pointed out an important distinction between Hooters locations in Florida and the company that went through bankruptcy.
“Tampa/Clearwater Hooters are still managed by the original company and are doing fine, it’s the company who manages them in other states that filed for bankruptcy,” they wrote.
That’s almost correct. Hooters of America was the company that filed for Chapter 11, while the original Hooters owners in Clearwater operated separately. That group later joined the deal to acquire much of Hooters of America and take the chain back to its original ownership.
However, Hooters of America did own a few locations in Florida, which means those were also affected by the bankruptcy.
Another viewer was particularly happy to hear about the sauce.
“Hooters is my favvvv for wings bc of the butter base,” they wrote.
And one person who had apparently never visited the chain before liked what they saw.
“Never eaten at Hooters, looks good!!!” they wrote.
@leah_fennelly First time trying Hooters food since I quit and the bankruptcy was announced #hooters #hooterstok #hooterswings #foodgirl #hootersreview ♬ original sound – Leah Fennelly
Subplot News has reached out to Hooters via email and Fennelly via TikTok messages for comment.
