I've been traveling to the USA since 2012 – that's roughly 13–14 years of regular travel around America. And throughout those 13 years, I've had this one little, I don't want to call it an obsession, but… it is a bit of an obsession. And that is the franchise restaurant Hooters.
Honestly, when I first arrived in America, I had never heard of Hooters. I had absolutely no idea what it was until an acquaintance in Florida showed it to me. We were talking about where we would go that evening to sit down and get something to eat, and he said, “Hooters.” I said – I have no idea what that is. And that's how it started.
How I First Discovered Hooters
It was in Sarasota, near Siesta Key Beach – and that was the very first time I visited Hooters in my life. And I have to say that from that first visit onward, it became a little ritual stop for me on every trip to America and later when I lived there (as an investor on an E2 visa).
After that first experience, I started going there extremely often. Almost every day. And it wasn't just about the food – you come in, sit down, have a beer, watch sports on TV, and the waitresses are friendly, happy to chat, and the place simply has a great atmosphere. I was alone in America at the time, I had a small travel blog (much smaller than today's Coded Trip), and I often went there to write blog posts or work on various things I was dealing with at my company at the time.
In Florida, it had a beachy feel – outdoor seating, warm air, a relaxed atmosphere. Over time, they started to recognize me. When I pulled into the parking lot, my table would already be ready and the waitress would immediately bring me a pitcher – a large jug of beer. No asking what I wanted. They simply knew, and everything was ready for my arrival.
What Is Hooters, Actually? A Brief History of the Legendary Franchise
Hooters is a classic American sports bar – but not exactly an ordinary one. The staff are predominantly young women wearing the signature tight T-shirts with the owl logo and orange shorts, sports are playing on large screens all around, and the atmosphere is exactly what you imagine when someone says “American bar.”
But here's the interesting part – Hooters was actually created as a joke.
In 1983, on April 1 (April Fools' Day!), six friends from Clearwater, Florida, opened the very first restaurant. They are known as the “Hooters Six” – Lynn D. Stewart, Gil DiGiannantonio, Ed Droste, Billy Ranieri, Ken Wimmer, and Dennis Johnson. None of them had any experience whatsoever in the restaurant business. As one of them later said, they were simply tired of going to boring bars and wanted something different.
The April Fools' Day opening date was no coincidence – they didn't believe it would work themselves and treated it more like a prank. But it did work. And how.
It's also interesting where they got the name. They were inspired by comedian Steve Martin and his 1980 Saturday Night Live monologue, in which he joked about various nicknames for women's breasts – and one of them was “hooters.” The six men found it so funny that they remembered it and used it as the restaurant's name three years later. Officially, of course, Hooters is named after the owl – the brand's logo – because an owl hoots. But no one doubts the double meaning.
The turning point came as early as January 1984, when Tampa hosted the Super Bowl. Washington Redskins star John Riggins went there for lunch and returned after the game with more teammates for a midnight snack. The resulting media attention boosted sales from $2,000 per night to nearly $4,000 – and Hooters began spreading like wildfire.
Within two years, a single restaurant in Florida had become a chain with $16 million in sales. By 1991, there were more than 50 locations and sales had exceeded $100 million. At its peak, Hooters had more than 420 locations across 42 states and 29 countries worldwide.
But Hooters wasn't just a restaurant. Over the years, it also had its own football team (the Miami Hooters in the Arena Football League from 1993–1995), its own airline, Hooters Air (2003–2006, where Hooters Girls also flew on board as “entertainment” for passengers), and even a hotel and casino in Las Vegas – it opened in 2006 directly across from the MGM Grand on the Strip. It had 696 rooms and nine restaurants and bars.
In recent years, however, Hooters has gone through a difficult period. Total sales for its U.S. operations fell from $1.2 billion in 2009 to $678 million in 2024, and many locations had to close. But a turnaround came in 2025 – the original Clearwater founders bought the brand back and announced a plan for “re-Hooterization” – a return to its roots with an emphasis on better food quality, a friendlier atmosphere, and a slightly more modest dress code. Hooters currently operates roughly 200 domestic and 60 international locations.
Hooters with Dušan – His First Visit and Unforgettable Experiences
After I moved to Atlanta, my best friend Dušan came to visit me. He flew into Orlando, Florida, and the first thing we did? We went straight to Hooters in Fort Myers Beach. It simply had to happen.
We then moved on to Atlanta, where we discovered another location in Duluth, Georgia. Before I had even started looking for my first apartment to rent, we were sitting in Hooters. And I started going there regularly too – I knew all the waitresses, and they knew me.
Halloween 2015 in Jacksonville – When We Stayed at Hooters Until Three in the Morning
One of the best experiences happened when I was driving Dušan back to the airport in Orlando. The drive from Atlanta takes about five or six hours, so we stopped in Jacksonville along the way. And it happened to be Halloween 2015.
We sat there drinking, eating wings, and having fun. We drank quite a lot. And as closing time approached – I think they closed around eleven – we kept tipping, ordering more and more beer, and simply didn't want to leave.
In the end, the waitresses put the chairs up on every table throughout the restaurant – only our table was left untouched. The girls, all the Hooters Girls, sat down with us and we chatted. We stayed there until about two or three in the morning. We gave them good tips, so they stayed with us, and it turned into an absolutely fantastic time. This is exactly the kind of experience you won't find in any tourist guide.
I still remember how we wanted Heineken instead of Coors Light and then watched the poor girl haul a keg across the entire restaurant just for us.
A little nostalgia :)).
Hooters Hotel in Las Vegas – Wings Nonstop 24/7
In 2017–2018, when I was flying around America a lot, I occasionally stayed directly at the Hooters Casino Hotel in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, it no longer exists today, but back then it was something special (at least for me).
There was a casino downstairs and a bar-restaurant inside the hotel where you could get wings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Just imagine it – you come back from the casino at three in the morning and have fresh, hot chicken wings in the signature Hooters style. Or you have them delivered directly to your room. For a Hooters fan, that's an absolutely perfect idea.
What to Order at Hooters – A Complete Menu Guide
And now for the most important part – the food. Because Hooters isn't just about the atmosphere; it's also about what's on your plate.
Wings – The Main Reason You Go There
Chicken wings are the absolute number one item on the menu and the reason Hooters is famous worldwide. They offer two main types: naked (unbreaded, classic) and breaded (coated in breading and crispy). Personally, I like both versions because each has something special – naked wings are cleaner and let the sauce stand out more, while breaded wings have that wonderful crunch. But proportionally, I order the breaded ones more often.
You order wings by the piece – you can easily get 10, 15, or 20 wings, and most importantly, and this is the best part, you can mix different sauces (flavors). So you can have half Daytona Beach and half BBQ on one plate, for example. Or one-third of one, one-third of another, and one-third of a third flavor. The possibilities are endless.
My favorite sauces:
Daytona Beach – this is my absolute favorite. It's a middle ground between sweet and slightly spicy, simply a perfect combination.
911 – these are very spicy, so be careful, but they taste excellent if you love spicy food.
BBQ (Barbecue) – a non-spicy classic, sweet, saucy, and simply a reliable choice for everyone.
Three Mile Island – these are seriously hot; this option is for adventurous eaters.
Always order ranch dressing for dipping with your wings – it's a white, creamy sauce that balances the heat beautifully and complements the flavor of the wings. It's an American classic, and the experience isn't complete without it.
Pretzel and Cheese – My Favorite Appetizer
This is something you have to try as well. Pretzel and Cheese – a soft, warm pretzel that you dip into hot, melted cheese. It sounds simple, but it's absolutely addictive and, in my opinion, the best appetizer Hooters offers. If you order only one extra thing with your wings, make it this.
What Else Is Worth Trying
Besides wings and pretzels, Hooters has plenty of other menu items worth checking out:
Fried Pickles – battered and fried pickles. It sounds strange, but it's an amazing appetizer – crispy, slightly tangy, and perfect with beer.
Buffalo Shrimp – breaded shrimp tossed in buffalo sauce, similar in concept to wings but made with seafood. An excellent alternative.
Curly Fries – seasoned, crispy spiral fries. The perfect side dish for wings or a burger.
Burgers – Hooters also offers some solid burgers that are definitely not bad. Classics include the Hooters Original Burger and Bacon Cheeseburger.
Mozzarella Sticks – fried mozzarella sticks, another great appetizer for sharing.
Loaded Tater Tots – small potato bites piled high with cheese, bacon, and sour cream. An absolutely sinful indulgence.
At one point, I tested the menu from top to bottom, so I know more or less everything on it.
The ideal drink is American draft beer – Bud Light, Miller Lite, or some local craft beer. And the best way to order it is by the pitcher – that large jug you pour from yourself. It's cheaper, and it simply belongs to the Hooters experience.
Ordering Tip
If you're visiting Hooters for the first time, I recommend this combo: get Pretzel and Cheese as an appetizer, then order 15–20 wings and mix two or three flavors – Daytona Beach, BBQ, and 911, for example. Add curly fries as a side and a pitcher of beer. That's the Hooters experience in its purest form.
Hooters in Dallas, Denton, and Across America
I try to visit Hooters in every state I travel to. It's a kind of personal challenge for me. Even in Dallas, which I visit regularly, I always stop at the local Hooters in Denton for wings.
You can also take photos with the girls at Hooters – just ask, and they'll be happy to pose with you. Once, I asked for a Hooters calendar – they release a new one every year featuring the best Hooters Girls from across the country. I brought one back for Dušan too, and we still have it displayed in the office to this day.
A Recent Visit with My Daughter – Fall 2025
In October 2025, while my daughter and I were traveling around Florida and visiting Siesta Key Beach, we stopped at Hooters – it's a tradition that simply can't be broken, and it was a little nostalgic for me because this was the very first Hooters I ever visited. And by the way, my daughter always enjoys it there too; it's an experience that spans generations.
Interesting Facts About Hooters You May Not Know
Hooters has an interesting history full of bizarre stories. Once, a waitress won a beer sales contest and was promised a “Toyota” as her prize. But instead of a car, she received a “Toy Yoda” figurine (a Star Wars Yoda toy) – her boss treated it as an April Fools' joke. The waitress filed a lawsuit and eventually received a settlement large enough to actually buy a car.
Hooters also provides significant support to charity – it has its own foundation, HOO.C.E.F. (a play on UNICEF), which contributes to organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, and Habitat for Humanity. After the death of Kelly Jo Dowd, a former Hooters Girl and calendar model, they also joined a campaign supporting breast cancer research and raised more than $4 million.
And as I already wrote above, in case you missed it, did you know that Hooters once even had its own airline? Hooters Air operated from 2003 to 2006. Two Hooters Girls flew on board as “entertainment” for passengers (they weren't flight attendants), one-way flights cost $129, and passengers received free meals on longer flights.
In Conclusion – Why I Recommend Hooters
To me, Hooters isn't just a restaurant. It's a piece of American culture, an experience, and a place where you feel comfortable. The combination of a sports bar atmosphere, good food (especially the wings), friendly waitresses, and the overall American vibe is simply unique.
Every time I come to the USA, Hooters is one of the first places I head to, and I also take everyone traveling with me there. And if you're traveling to America and haven't been there yet – in my opinion, it's an absolute must-go place to visit in the United States.
So go there, order some wings, get a pitcher, and enjoy yourself. You won't regret it.