The Big Flop - Hooters Goes Bust with Jimmy Pardo and Courtney Revolution | 103

Episode Date: September 1, 2025

What happens when six guys with zero restaurant experience open a bar just so they'll always have somewhere to drink? You get Hooters – a wing joint that grew from Florida novelty to international phenomenon. But between failed airline ventures, bikini contests, and changing social attitudes, America's original ""breastaurant"" learned that some business models belong in the past – right next to those infamous orange shorts.Jimmy Pardo and Courtney Revolution join Misha to learn how Hooters went from “Delightfully Tacky” to totally bankrupt.Follow The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Big Flop early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Attention. All big flop stands. Are you ready to take your love for the big flop to the next level? Well, Wondery Plus is here to make your dreams come true. With ad-free episodes, early access, and exclusive bonus content, you'll be swimming in a sea of content. Your uninterrupted flop fix awaits. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or in Apple Podcasts. Have y'all ever heard of the Hooters 6? I'm not talking about some Wild West bandits that used to get kicked out of saloons for partying too hard, although in a way I am. No, the Hooters 6 are the founders of the infamous restaurant Hooters, which they literally created as a place they couldn't get kicked out of. Now, if that doesn't sound like a red flag, maybe a later CEO decided.

to create a Hooters airline where Hooters girls are aboard does. Time to get into this restaurant's antics, besties. Hooters, a billion dollar a year business with nearly 500 restaurants in 27 different countries. The restaurant chain known for scantily clad uniforms. In the Me Too era, Hooters was seen as a throwback to another time. Facing nearly $400 million in debt, the chain now filing for bankruptcy. We are on a sinking ship Grab a coffee and discover Vegas-level excitement with BetMGM Casino.

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Every week, I'm bringing out some of my celebrity friends and the best experts in the business to answer your most intimate relationship questions. So don't be shy. Join the conversation and head over to YouTube. to watch Nick Cannon at night or subscribe on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. From Wondery and at Will Media, this is The Big Flop, where we chronicled the greatest flubs,

fails, and blunders of all time. I'm your host, Misha Brown, social media superstar who loves some double Ds, double dipping, of course, at your bestie Misha. And I'm very, very excited, everybody, because on our show today, we have some fabulous guests. First, we have a comedian and host of the Never Not Funny podcast.

It's Jimmy Pardo. Welcome. Hello, Misha. Thanks for having me. Yeah, so excited. Also, coming on the show to join us is a TV reality star and host of Toast-a-Tee podcast. And my friend, it's Courtney Revolution. Woo!

Hey, Missy! Crow goes wild. Thanks for me. having me. Yeah, so exciting. Okay, so before we get into the whole story of Hooters, I guess I should ask, like, what's your history with Hooters? The restaurant, I mean, not the body parts. I mean, I went there once in Florida, and I, I mean, it was a pretty standard time. The wings were winging. You know, it wasn't a bad time. I just, I'm gay. So I felt like, like, why am I, why I'm, there's a lot of Hooters bouncing around. Why am I here? Sure. You know. Jimmy? Jimmy, you go in a lot?

I am not gay. I should point that out. So I, and I was a young man. I grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. And so there were a couple of good wing places. And then when Hooters opened, you know, it was like, oh, we got to go to Hooters. I hear they've got the best wings of the world. And they're okay. Yeah. And maybe when I was younger and a drunk, I enjoyed going there. Yeah. Well, see, I will say Hooters is like just ingrained into my memory. One specific time that I went. I walk in and there was just a table of nuns, sat in Hooters. Not the nuns. Mistakingly walked in there? I don't know. You know what? Listen, nuns can eat chicken wings too, but the sight of it for some reason was so hysterical to me.

And it's just, it's always stuck with me. Nuns love Hooters. Do you think they bought into the owl theme that they didn't know why they were going in there? They're just like, we just really love birds. Yeah, I don't know. Nuns got to eat too. Yeah. Today, we're talking about Hooters, the chain restaurant, best known for the,

the very skimpy outfits it servers wear, though your uncle swears. He just goes there because he likes the wings. Now, the restaurant grew from a small chain to a worldwide brand worth hundreds of millions until a dramatic fall into bankruptcy. Now, the story of Hooters begins on April Fool's Day, 1983, when six businessmen, emphasis on men, have gotten together with a grand idea to launch their very own restaurant. Now, the founders, known as the Hooters 6, are L.D., Gil, Ed, Dennis, Ken, and last but certainly not least, a man who goes by the nickname Uncle Billy. Oh, Christ.

Uncle Billy. Yeah. I know that's a lot of names, but don't worry, there's not going to be a quiz. And honestly, they're not that important to the story. I could rattle them off right now for you like I'm Trump doing a cognitive test. One key thing to note about the Hooters 6 is that. they have zero experience in the restaurant industry. Dennis is a Mason. Ed is in real estate and Uncle Billy is retired. So let's take a look at these six guys. Can you describe them for the

listeners only? They look exactly how I imagined them to look. Like they just look like a bunch of guys that said, you know what? Chicks and wings. Let's do it. We know nothing about restaurants, but we know we like wings and we like chicks. Let's do it. I would caption this with, Hey, here's six guys, Jimmy Parto would never hang out with. Got to assume the guy of front's Uncle Billy, right? The guy that has no idea where the camera is? I think that's Uncle Billy. The old man just gazing off onto the sleeve of the sidewalk, apparently.

Some really great stashes, though. Oh, no question. Some good mustaches there. It was 83. That was the stash era. Yeah, the Hooter Six. They don't have any expectation that their restaurant is actually going to last, hence why they've gathered on April 1st.

Their big joke is that they just wanted to open a place that they couldn't get kicked out of. So red flags there? Why they're getting kicked out of places? Again, I repeat, guys, Jimmy Pardo would not want to hang out with. As a ultimate rule follower, they're not my people. So the guys pulled together $140,000 and start working to open the restaurant. Now, in case you aren't familiar, the idea for Hooters is that it's a bar that serves drinks and pub grub food like wings. That's pretty much it, right? Am I forgetting a Anything? Right. Just the small key component to the concept that all the servers will be women in super skimpy skin bearing outfits. We're all men. So keeping that in mind, where do you land on the concept of hooters? Do you think it's harmless, sleazy, exploitative?

I feel like it seems harmless on the surface. But when you really think about it, it really is like a restaurant full of women and skimpy clothing serving wings. and, like, what if I were a man? Like, would I get hired at Hooters? I feel like I wouldn't, because then what would I wear? Like, what if I wanted to serve a wing and the only place in my neighborhood was the big H? You know? Put the orange shorts on, Courtney.

Throw them out and give it a go. Nobody's stopping you from wearing those shorts. I know you could fill those out. I just might. I just might, you know? I love a wing. I'm good at customer service. I've worked in resorts.

So you're ready to go. You know, I think it's everything you said, Misha. I think it's harmless, yet all. awful. And, I mean, I know it was catering to men who, like, maybe didn't want to go to the gentlemen's club and they could go there and just feel like they weren't as creepy as going to a strip joint. But to try to pretend that they were a family restaurant, that was the part that always was weird to me. Like, it's for everybody. Like, yeah, is it? Totally. You know, you're kind of sexualizing your servers. But, again, those people wanted to work there.

So, I mean, that's why it's one of those things were like, I can't, I, but clearly can't answer it. I'm babbling around like an idiot. No, I mean, I think there's a reason for that. And I think it's there's, it's multi-leveled, right? There's women and we've come to a point in life and point in humanity where we're sex positive and we don't shame people for, you know, choosing to be, you know, sexualized. Then also we know what, you know, the people in charge we're like and, you know, the customers could be like. So, so yeah, there's, there's a lot to it. Now, listen, I don't want to blow anybody's mind, uh, but brace yourself. The name Hooters is actually a reference to a slang term for breasts.

What? No. Really? You know, me. I'm going to Google that. I got a fact check that because I don't buy it. We need fact checkers on this pod. Don't buy it.

Yep. And so to go with that name, the Hooters 6 decide to make their restaurant's logo an owl. So it's a pun. But maybe they think it will also provide an excuse for people who go to Hooters, maybe those nuns. You know, no, I swear, I thought it was an owl-themed bar. I was only in there because I love birds. But the name Hooters was also partially inspired by a Steve Martin joke from 1981.

Let's take a look at that joke. And I believe it's derogatory to refer to a woman's breasts as boobs, jugs, Winnebago's, or Golden Bozos. And you should only refer to them as Hooters. So they had to have cut him a check, correct? Well, I would hope. I don't know, we'll have to ask him. I would need my money off of that. I think he's doing okay, Courtney.

I think Steve Martin's doing fine without the hooter dough. Maybe I'm just greedy, but I would need my... Every last nickel and penny I needed. Where's my lawyer? Yeah. We're on the phone. Now, let's meet the first woman who was hired to work at Hooters. Her name is Lynn Austin, and she becomes the face.

Yes, her eyes are up here of the restaurant. And she features prominently in early advertising for Hooters. So let's take a look at one of the early billboard ads featuring Lynn. There she is. Lynn cute. She's a bombshell. Okay, Lynn. She's gorgeous.

Could you describe this billboard for the listeners? It's like very classic, like blonde, think a little bit like cousin to Pamela Anderson, like hair, body snatched, very much giving hourglass shit. Like, where's the waist? I can't find it. I can't see it. I need to call it. I can't even find the waist and she's got like a crop top that I would wear to the bar this weekend.

Like, so I'm kind of here with her a little bit. We're seeing a little bit eye-to-eye goofy movie, you know? I like her. Come on, Lynn. It's very 1983. There's no question about that. To Courtney's point about the way she's certainly not eating the Hooters' wings. As a child of that era, I would have loved this billboard and would have loved the restaurant as a 16-year-old boy was I?

I don't know. I'm trying to do the math. Yeah, no, I was 15. So this would have been, I may have parked in my car and just stared at this billboard. Who knows what I would have done at that age. Yeah. Now, and for the listeners, it says, you'll love our Hooters. Now open, come check them out.

And it says they have wings, shrimp, and oyster roasts. Well, by October of 1983, the Hooters Six have got their concept. They've got a name and a logo. They've got a billboard. And they've hired their waitresses. So all the preparations are complete. And the very first Hooters opens in Clearwater, Florida. Now, at this point, it should not be surprising at all that the birthplace of Hooters is in Florida, let alone Clearwater.

But despite all of the prep work, the Hooters opening does not go smoothly. The guys don't have a license to sell beer, and they needed to call in outside help because nobody knows how to work the Friars. There's no test run? No test run. There's no basics. Day one is when they fire up the friars? Nisha, they pissing me off. I expect it better out of Gill.

Six men and y'all don't have a lot of. it all together by opening day? Not one. Not a single one. I don't like it. I know. Too busy conditioning the mustaches. I'm over. I'm going to say that they spent too much time interviewing waitresses. And they're like, oh, oh, we got to

put oil in the friar? Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Dennis. Now, I will say, this little bit of chaos kind of fits with the overall casual atmosphere of the restaurant. Lynn, herself, describes the vibe of the place as being like an 80s movie with

Jimmy Buffett soundtrack. Yeah. Okay. Sounds about right. The restaurant, it was close to the beach, and Lynn and the other servers often go right from the beach to working at the restaurant. The guys keep the menu very, very simple, just classic bar food. You can get clams, oysters, shrimp, a steak sandwich, fries, and, of course, wings.

And the six owners can usually be found hanging out in the restaurant as well. After all, it was the whole reason they wanted to open it up in the first place. So hearing all of that, how excited would you be to stop in at this original Hooters location? Based on that, zero. Yeah, I don't like chaos. Give me my food and good service. I don't need to see you guys scrambling around and just being happy. You're not getting kicked out?

You coming from the beach to the restaurant, that's a health code violation. I don't want sandy hair. You know what I mean? No sandy hair and no raw potatoes. Yes. Now, the big breakthrough for. for Hooters comes thanks to the 1984 Super Bowl.

The game is happening in nearby Tampa and one of the star players comes in to get some food and then later he brings his teammates back with him, which spurs some serious word of mouth that puts the restaurant on the map in an legitimately major way. Just a year after the restaurant opens, there are lines

out the door and folks are waiting up to two hours to get a table. What the? Mm-hmm. What started off as a joke, got real, real quick. Go ahead and learn your business, boys. Learn your business, fellas.

Yep. Now, here's where they get a little smart. With business booming, the guys decide to bring someone in with a little bit more experience to help keep the company growing. They turn to a guy named Hugh Conardy, who has his own chain of steakhouses, and the way they bring in Hugh

is very much in keeping with their laid back attitude. They work out the terms of the deal on the back of a napkin. Not this. Miami Vice style. That's how Miami Vice was created on the back of a napkin. These guys are doing it right? And same era. I mean, so was an entire Harry Potter franchise.

I will take your word for that. I've never read a word of it. I refuse to. I don't care for wizards. I don't know if that's true. You know, showgirls was also written on the back of a napkin and then sold for $2 million. And if you have not yet, listen to our movie flops episode,

featuring showgirls, go listen to that. Let me get to writing on the back of some napkins. I gotta get me a handful of napkins. Yeah. It's your man, Nick Cannon, and I'm here to bring you my new podcast, Nick Cannon at night. I've heard y'all been needing some advice in the love department.

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Stories of scams, murders, and cover-ups that are about us, and the things we're doing to either protect the Earth or destroy it. Follow Lawless Planet on the Wondry app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes of Lawless Planet early and ad-free right now by joining Wondry Plus in the Wondry app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. So in 1985, Hugh starts helping Hooters open up locations all across Florida. Now, Hugh may know the restaurant business better than the original Hooters 6, but he doesn't have the cash to match his ambitions.

So Hugh starts looking for investors. And this is where a whole new chapter for the company starts, when a man named Robert Bob Brooks decides to put some money into the company. So what do you think would make someone want to invest in Hooters at this point in the company's history? Conardy's name alone gets me in. Then the fact that you got Robert who insists on using the nickname Bob, apparently. I have no, Misha, I don't like that. It's a trick question for me.

I feel like it would be like an easy concept. Like if it's just bar food and the theme is like hot women, like how much, like you can get probably a lot. with a lot of money. Yeah, I think looking at, you know, it was the 80s, we got hot girls, we got lines out the door. It was a booming time. So let's meet Bob Brooks, the man who will go on to be known as Hooters' Worldwide Wing Commander. Oh, we're meeting the commander.

There's Bobby. He looks like a youth pastor, doesn't he? Sure does. He's what I would expect to have started a chain restaurant called Hooters in comparison to the original Hooters 6. He just looks like the type to me. Yep. So Bob is born in 1937 and grows up on a tobacco farm in South Carolina with no plumbing or electricity.

But he gets rich by starting his own company that sells food staples to restaurants. So when Hugh comes along and asks Bob to put money into Hooters, Bob sees real potential in the company and he decides to invest. Now, Bob's getting involved at a crucial time. In 1986, Hooters gets another huge boost to its profile. when the face of the brand, Lynn, poses for Playboy. So all of a sudden, Lynn is famous and people around the country know about the chain. There's a big opportunity here for Hooters,

but it might only pay off if this irreverent laid-back company can get pulled into shape by someone more serious, and that someone might just be Bob. Now, in 1988, just a few years after he invests, Bob gives Hugh an ultimatum. Either Bob gets paid back for his investment, or Hugh can just let Bob fully take charge of the company. Bob? Yeah.

Sheesh, all right. Turns out, Hugh doesn't have the cash to pay Bob back. Of course he doesn't. So he decides to just hand over the reins, rains that are probably splattered in wings, I imagine. And Bob starts implementing his plans for Hooters to not just spread across the U.S., but across the entire planet. whoa. I know. Hooters is worldwide. Worldwide. Bob got it in the way that Gil never did. Bob understands this business. Bob does. No, Bob's plan is to keep building out the Hooters brand and to continue to raise awareness of the company on an even bigger level. And this focus on branding becomes a

key component of Hooters' success. After all, whether you love Hooters or hate it, it's a brand that everybody knows. So let's take a look at Hooters very first. commercial. Hey kids, you want to do your dad a really big favor? Tell your mom you want to go to Hooters. Was that Lynn? That was. She's hot.

Yeah. I like Lynn. You're rid of Lynn, huh, Courtney? Lynn, my favorite character out of the whole story. Lynn's great. She looks good. She reminds me of, like, we don't know what she looks like, but if I could imagine what Stacy's mom looks like.

Yes. Good call. Like, your best friend's hot mom. That's Lynn. I don't know if I like them running a hustle on mom, though. You know, hey, tell your dad to tell mom to bring you here. I don't, mom's getting duped. Well, dad ain't going by himself. But mine will bring the wife and it all be a whole experience. Yeah, but then that's creeposaurus, right? You're sitting there

with your wife while they come over and you're pretending that you're there for the wings. The whole thing's fishy. Yeah, there is something about, hey kids, uh, do you want to do your dad's a really big favor? Yes, creep, right? That's all, that's weird. Yeah. So, now, there's also a Hooters TV show. It's called Hooters Night Owl Theater. What? And And basically, it's just Hooters waitresses introducing a movie and doing short comedy sketches during breaks. So let's take a look at a clip of one of these sketches. It's a Star Trek parody.

We travel back in time to the year 1993 in a search for a really great chicken rings. Hmm. Sprack, did you see that? Yes. It appears to have been a chicken sandwich and potatoes fried in the French manner. Oh, you bad man. I was talking about the waitress, not the food. Jim, remember our mission.

Mish and smithing, my face is unstung and I'm beaming up. Oh, miss. Comedy. No, I didn't like that one. I felt like I got bored. Even though the Lynn thing was like so fast, it didn't even like penetrate my brain, like the actual language being used. That I was lost within the first like three seconds of it. Girl, get to it.

Show me a wing picture. Show me something. Do we know the acting? Do we know that those guys go on to big things? I'm sure they have golden gloves. What if we don't know that? What if those two guys are now running Hollywood? We don't know.

They could be. They could be. I don't know if you know. There were no Hooters Girl. You just kind of saw the top of a head go by. You didn't see. The whole point of what I think the commercial was supposed to be. Hey, quick side story.

I don't know if you guys know this. My father-in-law was on Star Trek. Really? Whoa. He played Chekhov on Star Trek. So I will ask him if he has ever had Hooters' wings. So from there, Bob, he's off to the races, creating all kinds of Hooters-related products and promotions. There's a Hooters calendar, a magazine, a credit card, and a whole dang Hooters casino and hotel in Las Vegas.

One of Bob's biggest innovations is getting Hooters involved in sports promotions. After all, I mean, it's a pretty fair bet that the type of guy going to Hooters is also a sports fan. So in 1992, Bob gets Hooters to sponsor. a NASCAR driver, and then just three years later, he has Hooters start its own stock car races and its own golf tour. So it's doing a lot. There was a point where Hooters was that powerful that they thought that they was going to do all those things. And like, I don't know, that's so strange to me that it just like, it started off as wings. And now, girl, here we go. Uh-huh. With sports and everything and the light. They were one step away from a whole theme

park. I mean, crazy. Was there talk of a theme park, Misha? Or is that just something you're saying? That's something I'm saying because there's been like five episodes out of 99 where somebody they had no business doing a theme park was like, now we're going to do a theme park. Like everything deserved a theme park. I got to be honest. I go to the Hooters theme park. I got to see what the rides are. I got to see everything about the theme park.

Hey, kids. Tell your dad to take it to the Hoosters. Do your mom a favor. Have your dad. Yeah. Love it. So as a result of Bob's Blitz, I mean, Hooter cements it. in pop culture. Some people think it's skeevy or see it as a punchline, but people are still

showing up to eat at Hooters, including celebrities. Over the years, tons of famous folks have been photographed with Hooters Girls, Jay Leno, Chris Rock, even Bill Gates and President George H.W. Bush. Which celebrity would be the funniest, though, to be seen with Hooters girls. It would have been Betty White for me. You went right to Betty White. Elmo. Like, why is Elmo at Hooters? He's a puppet. He can't eat. It'd be the greatest. So as CEO, Bob continually insists Hooters is a family-friendly eatery. That's a key part of his idea of the brand.

Bob even invites ministers at his church to come and eat at the restaurant to show how wholesome it is. Sure. So as Hooters expands, it's also plagued by controversies. For one thing, Hooters has been on the receiving end of a number of lawsuits. Here we go, Courtney. One of the earliest and most high-profile cases comes in 1997 when a group of men sue the chain over its hiring practices. They say it's not fair for Hooters to hire only women as servers. Maybe a man want to put a booty short on in a good-looking tank top and say, here are your wings.

They need money, too. The rent's got to be paid. Your rent has to be paid. Yeah. Now Hooters winds up settling out of court, giving the seven men, who sued them a couple thousand dollars each, and no commitment or obligation to start hiring men or change their hiring practices in any way. They said, we don't care one big girl.

Take this coin and do it in their face. And the men were like, okay, we'll take a check. Yeah. So, I mean, I know your stance, Courtney. Jimmy, what's your stance? Men waiters at Hooters? I think the whole premise is that you go there to ski, you know, half-clothed women. I could see somebody being, like, they go there, they're going to get the wings,

and then a dude walks over, hey, I'm Don, I'm going to be your waiter. Like, isn't it immediately don't you go, wah, wah, if that's why you went there. I would be fine with Don. I got no problem with Don. Yeah. The last guy I'm fighting with is Don. You know that. I've always been a fan of Don's.

But if I'm just Joe guy walking off the street, I'm mad that it's not a scantily clad woman. That's the whole, you know. Yeah. Or I think about how many situations where, like, how uncomfortable it is when, like, someone calls a manager over and they're like, oh, I kind of came here and not for a male server. Like, can I get a different server? Like, how weird that must be.

Yeah, awful. In addition to that case, over the years, Hooters' locations have also been hit with suits related to sexual harassment, weight discrimination, and also racial discrimination. There's also research that shows women who work at restaurants, like Hooters, are often subjected to disgusting treatment from customers, sometimes downright scary, like stalking. Yeah. And in turn, many experience anxiety, sadness, and a feeling of being degraded. So that's the sign where we all feel, I think, where we all were like, yeah, Hooters is a concept, not great.

Yeah. Yeah, because we knew. We knew this was coming. Nevertheless, Hooters continues to thrive. In fact, by the early 2000s, the company is big enough that Bob decides that Hooters needs, are you ready for this? It's own airline. Not this. Misha, please don't talk.

me this. Hoot Air? Bob creates Hooters Air. Yeah. I was just playing by Hoot Air. Not he really did it. Let's take a look at that commercial for Hooters Air. Hooters Air Service features all leather seating, more leg room, good food, and of course,

the world famous Hooters Girls. Good heavens. There you go. Immediately I have a question. Are the Hooters Girls on Hooters Air, are those flight attendants? Right. Or are you just like props? like mascots walking up and down the aisle

because you're doing nothing for me if you don't have a Hooters wing atop a tray. Listen, I'm hoping the FAA regulations at least had them trained for what to do in an emergency. Do they know CPR even? So, no, they were not the attendants.

They were just there as, as you said, props. Not props and booty shorts. This is crazy. I didn't know Hooters was doing all of this. Yeah. This is what the planes looked like, by the way. I couldn't walk on that. I couldn't.

I don't care for $99. I can't walk. I couldn't go. Come on, kids. I couldn't do it. Yeah. It's cute, but I don't think. I'm just so confused.

There were like so many other money moves that could have been made and y'all blew it on. On this. Aircrafts. On this. People that really need to go from Gary to Myrtle Beach. You've got to make that flight for 99 bucks. Gotta make that. 99 bucks.

Courtney, could you just give the listeners a quick rundown of what the plane looks like? You know, we've got like in a white airplane with its navy blue stripe, but my eyes immediately go to our mascot, the Hooters Owl, with the big orange breast-shaped eyeballs. And I mean, it looks like a normal aircraft until you'd realize that it's the Breastorant's aircraft. You couldn't wait to use it. You couldn't wait to use it. Yeah, I'm obsessed with that. Breastorant, that's great. Jimmy, any idea, any guesses as how long Hooters' Air was in service for?

I'm going to go with 18 months. Okay. How did I do? Not too far off, about halfway. Bob keeps Hooters' air going for three years before he shuts it down. Three years? That's longer than I thought, too. Now, the reason they gave for ending the service was that it was just too expensive for the company to maintain.

But I also would like to imagine that Bob woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and realized that it's completely nuts for a restaurant chain to have its own airline. Yes. Yes. But Hooters Air doesn't ultimately wind up hurting Hooters too much. The business is still doing great. By 2003, Hooters has almost 350 locations and the company is pulling in around $750 million in revenue a year. And most importantly, they're annually serving 30 million pounds of wings. Good Lord. What happened to the original six? Are they still involved? What if they were the six guys that applied? to be the waiter, they got a couple thousand bucks each. We went back in.

Yeah, they were the ones this suit. That's funny. That's the only way they got money. So, in 2003, Bob decides it's time to retire, and he passes the Hooters torch to his son, Kobe, who decides to take over the business. Now, Bob always likes to say,

quote, good food, cold beer, and pretty girls never go out of style. So, as he retires, he's probably thinking that the future of the company is totes secure. Yeah. Little does he know that his own looming death might just kill Hooters as well. Oh, Bob does die. He does die.

The turning point for Hooters is in 2006 when Bob passes away, RIP to the World Wide Wing Commander. Now, even though Bob has stepped down from leading the company, he was still the owner. And in his will, he divides up control of Hooters among various members of his family. But there was a problem. Bob only left his second wife, Tammy, a measly $20 million. And Tammy thinks she should get more. And this kicks off a huge legal battle, not just over Bob's estate, but also over the future of Hooters. And this lawsuit drags on for years.

Side note, what's the biggest family feud you've ever had? Oh, I can't get into that without my family disowning me. I don't even, I don't, there's no feuds in my family because I don't talk to nobody. We honestly don't feud. Well, amidst all this legal chaos involving the will, Hooters' business peaks at an all-time high, but soon starts to falter. The legal battle over his dad's estate is particularly hard on Kobe. He says the fight was emotional and physically draining on me.

Everything bad that could have happened did. So, sorry. But it's not just these legal woes that's causing problems for Hooters. Public perception is also starting to turn on the company as well. And this is something Kobe finds out firsthand when he appears on an episode of undercover boss in 2010. Let's take a look at a clip. Do you like to come to Hooters, too? No, I have a different opinion than Vince does.

You know, I just think it's degrading to women. You think it's the name, or is it the uniform, or is it both? I think it's the uniform, because either your rear end's hanging out or your boobs are hanging out one or the other. I think it could just be a little bit longer and cover up a little bit more. Yeah. How surprised did Kobe seem? Kobe seemed like it just was the first time it ever occurred to him. Like it never crossed his mind that women dressed like that may be offensive to some folks.

Yeah. But that's the environment he like grew up in. So like probably wasn't even like a thought to him like that. Yeah. You're right. He is Bob's son. But later in the episode when he's the undercover boss, the manager of one of his restaurants literally degrades all of the.

waitresses, having them eat things and do challenges to get let off their shifts first. The manager ends up getting fired by him. He does take control of the situation, but it's wild. If you can find that episode, it's a really good watch. Quick question from the reality TV person on the episode. The degrading of the workers would you say, or would you infer that maybe it was a production thing for content for the episode? I don't think so. He was just awful. I think the reason why it was so crazy was because Kobe was like, he was pissed. He was so angry. I'm going to watch that. Yikes. You have to watch it. It's really good TV. Yikes. Finally, in 2011, the legal battle over Bob's will is resolved by way of the Brooks family selling off the company. Hooters is sold to a group of investors

and Kobe leaves the company. Not the son. I know. But even with all these legal fights finally settled and with new leadership in place, Hooters cannot pull out of its decor. between 2012 and 2015, the number of Hooters locations shrinks by double digits. Now, one of the reasons is the rise of fast casual restaurants, right? Chains where you can order your food at a counter rather than ordering from a server, like Chipotle. And these places are starting to take business away from chains like Hooters that do have table service. And Hooters, the table service is pretty important, you know, to the business model. People don't go to Hooters for takeout. So Hooters is also losing market share to new. restaurant competitors, including chains called Tilted Kilt, Twin Peaks. Not Twin Peaks. That's clever. I went into a Twin Peaks once thinking it was a coffee chain. What was that like? Give me the rundown. I walked out because I wasn't what I was looking for.

He said, not the Peaks. Hooters has more existential problems. The company is really struggling to attract younger customers. What do you think the average age of a Hooters customer is in 2012? 25 and up, 25 to 34, maybe. I'm going to say 23 to 30, just so that I say something different. Okay. The average age of a Hooters customer in 2012 is 45 years old.

Oh, we, I'm low. I was so low. Yeah. Whoa. Although you are very close, historically, around 70% of Hooters customers are men between the ages of 25 and 54. Mm. Yeah.

So if you're in charge of Hooters at this point, what would you do to try to, like, expand your appeal? I think for me, this is what, 2012 you said? It's time to take Hooters on the national Hooters Tour. And what they needed to do was they needed to have like a big Hooters bus full of the women and they go to like major cities. And when they park, they give out wings. They almost like a bizarre they throw like in major cities. And that would attract not only younger people, but maybe their families.

And maybe we use that as an opportunity to show that Hooters is not the sleazy restaurant. that your dad enjoyed back in the early 90s, and we make it more family-friendly and visible. I'm going to build on what Courtney said, and I don't know why it wasn't done, why wouldn't they do food trucks? Wouldn't food trucks be a, like wings are easy to make. We learn that.

You can learn how to use a friar on one day. We learn that from the earlier part of the story. And then you've got the girls out there attracting people to come in, by the way, I think, why were they not food trucks? Yeah, that's great. You know, I was thinking, you never said how young you want your customers to be.

So, like, you could always build like a ball pit, you know, like a McDonald's play place. Whatever it takes. Bring in the kids. It's family-friendly, everybody. It's family-friendly. Look at the owl, children. Well, one thing Hooters does in effort to bring in a younger crowd

is retool their menu with trendier food options. Flop. Not the answer, Bob. There's the big flop. There we go, right there. Because that, girl, we needed the big picture. They was thinking real small with that. Yeah. Is there a singular food that you can think would attract younger customers and revitalize

their entire business? No. The answer is not a single one. But Hooters' issues with attracting younger customers, it goes way beyond their food offerings. They've got way bigger issues than any Baja Burger can fix, right? There is a cultural shift happening, and the younger generation just isn't cool with these restaurants. They're basically seen as gross and weird. So Hooter starts making moves to turn public opinion around. In 2017, the same year, that the Me Too movement takes off, Hooters introduces a new type of restaurant called Hoot's Wings. Houtes is meant to be a more family-friendly version of Hooters. The waitstaff is both male and female, and everybody just wears normal clothes.

In ads for Hootts, they make a big point of saying that their food is exactly the same as the food at Hooters. So this will be a chance to see if people really do go to Hooters because they just like the food. Instead of just creating it at a completely different concept, under the same company and just making a family of restaurants and focusing all of your money on the one that's kind of family. The big flop. That's what we own, right?

It is the big flop. They flopping. I was going to say, the fact that this is the first I'm hearing about Hoot's wings, I'm guessing it doesn't go well. There's Hoot's wings on every corner here. Oh, you live in a different area than me, then. Kidding, Hoot is a total flop. They barely open any Hoot's locations, and for the most parts, the one,

that do open get shut down real fast. Wow. It's almost as if people aren't going to Hooters just for the food. So as Hooters continues to struggle, it gets sold to two private equity companies in 2019. And then we all know what happens one year later. The pandemic takes a huge toll on the restaurant industry and Hooters was no exception.

Almost 50 locations closed between 2020 and 2022. And the trend continues well after lockdowns are over. Hooters continues to show. shut down dozens of restaurants through 2023 and 2024. But the biggest problem is that the public's opinion of Hooters has not improved at all. A 2023 survey finds that more than 50% of people who go to Hooters are likely to tell other people not to visit the restaurant. Yikes.

They're so offended by it that they spread the word, don't go there? Yeah. Why did they go there? Did they wander in like they thought it was Twin Peaks for coffee? Probably. Why did they go in there? Why did you go? But you are in serious trouble if the people who do go to your restaurant make it their life's mission to tell other people to stay away. Not going to work out for you. So with the public losing interest, locations closing and experiments like Hoot's totally failing, bills are starting to pile up. In 2024, Hooters is in debt to the tune of $300 million. Good heavens. And more and more locations keep going out of business. So Hooters is doing so badly they can't even afford. to keep paying for their NASCAR sponsorship. What would Bob think? The fact that they're still paying for that.

Finally, in March of this year, 2025, Hooters files for bankruptcy, just a few days short of its 42nd anniversary. But don't worry, there are still a few hundred locations still operational across the U.S. In fact, there are over 30 up and running in Florida. So do you think there is any way that Hooters can bounce back and become mainstream cool again? or is it just outdated? I think they need to have a complete rebrand because the idea of Hooters being like one of our legacy restaurants, I think is like not a great label to have at this point.

They just need to completely rebrand into something different. Because when I think of like Hooters today, it's like, why would I go there? Like what's the appeal for me personally? Like I go to Chili's and get the same exact food and it's better. Yeah. Go to Buffalo Wild Wings, BW3s, head over there. Yeah. The better wings anyway.

Exactly. Yeah, I think they're done, Misha. I think they missed the boat. They could have converted those planes into restaurants. Wouldn't that have been cool? Like, they just, they got the plane and then they put some tables in there? Who doesn't go to that? Right.

I go to that restaurant. Yeah, whole experience. But they're done. They're done. They're done. Well, let's do a little, where are they now? Oh. Currently, in the wake of the bankruptcy, Hooters is in the process of being sold to a group of

franchise owners, like people who are already operating Hooters restaurants all around the U.S. Once the sale is finalized, the new owners have grand plans of rebranding. One of their plans is to end weekly bikini nights at the restaurants. I didn't even know that was a thing. Yeah, yeah. One of the new owners says, quote, you don't want to walk in after a Little League game with your team and have a bikini contest in the store.

Yeah. I could speak as a kid that played Little League. Yes, we do. Folks, I'm not sure this rebrand is going to work if the best thing they can come up with to make Hooters more family-friendly is to say, we promise we won't surprise you with the bikini contest.

All right, well, here on the Big Flop, we try to be positive people and on a high. So are there any silver linings that you can think of that came about from Hooters? I like the idea that it was just a bunch of friends that kind of got together and they wanted to make a place that they couldn't get kicked out of.

And by chance, it became probably one of their wildest, grandest business ventures, like from a joke to, like, a huge movement for a period of time, I think is a great silver lining. I agree with Courtney. From jokes to NASCAR and planes, that's pretty amazing. Yeah, I would like to look into the original Hooters Six more because it does seem like, okay, they were a little bit, boys will be boys, like with the concept of the restaurant. But in our research, it doesn't seem like they did anything particularly, you know, offensive

that we could see. And then, you know, once it started to grow, they did do some smart things by bringing in investors and bringing in people with experience. I'm sure they got paid out. So I guess good for them. It was the others who were like, let's turn it into a circus. Mess. All right. So now that you both know about Hooters, the absolutely massive restaurant chain that struggled to find a place in the new millennium, would you consider this a baby flop, a big flop, or a mega flop?

I would consider this a mega flop, and the reason why is because there are so many other things that Hooters could have done as a brand that I personally feel they wasted their money on, like the airline waste, the car thing, waste, because in hindsight, they could have put that into different sister restaurants that could have carried the financial responsibility once Hooters started to fail. Like, it just seemed like there was no actual vision on how to propel Hooters. to the next level. They just stayed at boob level. And that's boob, be boring. Boring. What about you, Jimmy? I'll go with mega flop. I don't know if I'm to be as detailed as Courtney, but I think it's a

megap flop to build up that high and then just completely crash. But I mean, I mean, society plays everything into it. Like if we were still in 1987, they probably would still be doing great. But we just live in a different world where Hooters just doesn't, it just doesn't fit in.

Well, that's it, folks. Thank you so. much to our guests who are the Breast of the Breast, Jimmy Pardo and Courtney Revolution for joining us here on the Big Flop. And of course, thanks to all of you for listening and watching. Remember, if you're enjoying the show, please leave us a rating or review or subscribe. And we'll be back next week with a very special episode. It's our 100th flop. Yay! He was the manager to all of your favorite pop stars. But for Taylor Swift, he was Trouble. Trouble, Trouble. Swifties assemble, because we're talking Scooter Braun.

Bye. If you like the Big Flop, you can listen early and add free on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself. by filling out a short survey at Wondery.com slash survey. The Big Flop is a production of Wondery and at-will Media, hosted by Misha Brown, produced by Sequoia Thomas,

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