LAKELAND, Fla. – The Hooters in south Lakeland, Florida, appear to have abruptly and permanently closed today, Sunday, June 23, 2024, with no notice to employees.
A letter given to employees of the location on South Florida Avenue is making its rounds on social media, reading that ‘current market conditions’ forced ‘the difficult decision to close a select number of underperforming locations.’
There is no word yet on how many locations will be affected.
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“I woke up to the sad news that Hooters has closed Hooters South Lakeland, the second location ever. I worked in the construction trailer in 1984 when it was being built from Shorty’s Exxon station and spent my first seven years there as a Hooters Girl, then moved all over the country opening new locations and worked as Training Coordinator at corporate in Atlanta, Director of Training for a franchise, and came back home in 1996 as 1st Assistant Manager. I worked my way to General Manager at my first store – my baby, and left in 2007, when the corporate structure changed and they did the awful renovation. Hooters was a huge 23-year part of my life and shaped who I am, and I can’t be more heartbroken,” said a former employee on Facebook.
“It’s messed up how they closed South Lakeland Hooters on all the employees there with 0 heads up people with kids bills due bring them out there at 7 am to say sorry you don’t have a job,” another social media post read.
The social media pages of the shuttered location have been scrubbed as of Sunday afternoon.
The restaurant industry nationwide has been experiencing a wave of closures, partly due to the ongoing effects of inflation.
Rising costs of ingredients, labor, and rent have put a significant strain on many establishments, forcing some to shut their doors permanently.
Several major restaurant chains have announced closures in 2024, including Denny’s, Red Lobster, and others. While some chains are strategically closing underperforming locations, others are struggling to cope with the increased expenses and decreased consumer spending caused by inflation.
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