'Breastaurant' No More: Hooters Is Getting a Family-Friendly Makeover

Don’t call it a comeback—call it a “re-Hooterization.”

That’s the word Neil Kiefer, CEO of HMC Hospitality Group—the parent company of the group of men who created the Hooters brand—is using to describe the planned PG-ification of the so-called “breastaurant.” 

Related: Restaurant Chain That Pioneered the 'Breastaurant' Reportedly Nears Bankruptcy

In February, it was reported that the 42-year-old restaurant chain was nearing bankruptcy. Kiefer is convinced that by putting the brand back into the hands of the men who originally founded the Clearwater, Florida-based brand, they can keep the Hooters name alive with an image overhaul.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Kiefer—whose company still owns 22 Hooters restaurants—made it clear that he knows it’s the breasts, not the wings, that draw the bulk of the eatery’s customers nationwide. But that’s not the case in Clearwater, where women and children are often happily dining alongside the typically male clientele Hooters has always catered to.

“You go to some parts of the country and people say, ‘Oh, I could never go to Hooters, my wife would kill me,’” Kiefer said. “That’s depressing to us. We want to change that.”

First up on the menu: doing away with Hooters’ infamous “Bikini Nights,” the one night of the week where waitresses ditch their already-skimpy orange shorts and infant-sized, cleavage-bearing T-shirts and walk around in two-piece swimsuits instead. Which isn’t exactly the kind of atmosphere that screams “Happy 9th birthday, Jimmy” for a family looking to celebrate a special occasion in a fast-casual restaurant.

Toning down the overt sexuality is one thing; making it known to the world that Hooters is now a family-friendly place is another challenge.

But it’s not just about the employees’ standard-issue clothing—or lack thereof. Kiefer is promising to overhaul the dining experience, too. This means changing up some of the recipes to include better, fresher ingredients, like real butter in the buffalo sauce that accompanies many of the restaurant’s most popular items. He also wants to work to make service faster, and ensure that all waitresses are trained on the proper way to serve guests. Among two of the most important rules? Always greet the women in a party first, and be sure to visit your tables within 60 seconds of the party sitting down.

Kiefer says “there’s a noticeable difference” in the experience diners receive at a Hooters owned by his company and those owned by Hooters of America, where standards vary from one location to the next. “The food’s different, the service is different,” he says. “I hope to correct it all.”