TikTok-famous Hooters girls built viral following, but landlord had final say about their future
A successful Hooters location that gained a following through its social media videos will be closing soon — which means the people behind the posts are preparing for one last Super Bowl Sunday.
When news broke that the Hooters in Boca Raton, Florida, was closing at the end of February because of the landlord's decision not to renew the lease, longtime customers and employees were surprised, general manager Chris Torelli told Fox News Digital.
In a tough restaurant economy, closures can be a sign of decline. But this Hooters location built a cult following through TikTok dances, parody skits and viral videos.
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"We are a healthy, successful location, and in this economy, the places that close are the opposite," Torelli said.
Over the years, the Boca Raton location distinguished itself by leaning heavily into social media. What started as a simple marketing experiment, Torelli said, evolved into one of the most recognizable Hooters social media accounts in the country.
The videos — often featuring choreographed dances, playful jabs at local sports teams or scripted phone-call skits — resonated far beyond Boca Raton. Torelli said early viral success helped confirm the strategy.
"You get one or two that go viral, then you start seeing the comments and the interaction with the consumers," he said.
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But the success wasn't just about algorithms or follower counts. The goal "has always been to make it fun."
"It's not a business," Torelli said. "I mean, we are a business — but Instagram, for us, is fun."
Much of that fun came from the women who appeared in the videos. Hooters waitresses Amanda Hall and Sarah Glynn became familiar faces online, dancing, joking and often poking fun at themselves.
The social media presence helped turn the Hooters girls into "local celebrities," Torelli said, as recognition followed them outside the restaurant.
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It's something former employee Abigail Fuqua still experiences more than a year after leaving the Boca Raton location. She said she's still recognized from posts still circulating online.
"As soon as you open that door up, and you immerse yourself into it, you just have fun," Fuqua said of participating in the videos.
The social media success has also become a reliable job recruiting resource, Torelli said.
"We've stumbled upon one of the best marketing tools to recruit future Hooters girls," he said. He noted the "tremendous success [in] hiring staff" who wanted to work there because of the videos.
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As the restaurant prepares to close its doors after 16 years, Hall and Glynn describe the workplace as more than just a job.
"These girls are my sisters now," Glynn said.
"It kind of became more like a home and a family," Hall added.
Still, there is optimism about the future. Torelli said the "plan all along" was to find a new home nearby.
"We're not done yet," he said.
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For the employees, the future is less certain — but not without gratitude.
"Life is going to take you in different directions, but I had a great time while I was here," Hall said.
Glynn joked that the end of the Boca Raton location may mark the end of an era for her.
"It may be time to retire the orange shorts a little bit because I don't know how I can do any Hooters other than Boca," she said.
Even after the restaurant closes, its social media presence isn't likely to fade, Torelli said.
"We owe it to our guests and our staff and the people in the community, because we do so much with them, to continue to do this," he said.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the property management company for comment.