Hooters closing several 'underperforming' locations, including Tampa Bay area restaurant

LAKELAND, Fla. - Hooters has announced it is closing dozens of ‘underperforming’ restaurants across the country, including a location serving patrons close to home in Tampa Bay.

The chain of restaurants confirmed to Nation's Restaurant News on Monday that about 40 locations in the U.S. have been shuttered. 

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Hooters, which was founded in Clearwater with its original store in 1983, is also shuttering its South Lakeland restaurant on Florida Avenue South.

The location appeared as ‘permanently closed’ online and has already been removed from the company's list of locations. Former employees also took to social media to announce the restaurant had closed on Sunday.

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"Like many restaurants under pressure from current market conditions, Hooters has made the difficult decision to close a select number of underperforming stores," the company said in a statement to the outlet. "Ensuring the well-being of our staff is our priority in these rare instances."

Hooters did not immediately respond to FOX Television Stations’ request for a statement on the reported closings, specifically on how many stores are closing and where. 

Hooters has seen a 12% decline in the number of restaurants since 2018, Nation’s Restaurant News reported, citing data from restaurant consulting firm Technomic.

FOX Digital and FOX Business contributed to this report.