One of Hooters’ most famous locations is shuttering its doors after the landlord refused to renew its lease, much to the dismay of fans.
The Boca Raton location has amassed 137,000 followers on Instagram since it started promoting its dancing Hooters Girls on their social media, quickly drawing in fans and hungry customers.
But on February 22, the location will shutter its doors after the landlord – hedge fund group the Sterling Organization – didn’t allow the popular restaurant to renew its lease, Managing Partner and Director of Merchandising, Chris Torelli, told the Daily Mail.
He said the Boca Raton Hooters was a ‘healthy and profitable’ location and the closing has nothing to do with the finances of the franchise.
‘It’s easy to draw conclusions,’ he told the Daily Mail on Saturday.
The Boca Raton Hooters family is hoping they’ll be able to relocate, but no permanent plans have been set in motion.
However, Torelli, who runs the location’s popular Instagram page, said the social media account will not be closing alongside the restaurant.
‘You’re not going to shut down a page with 137,000 followers,’ he told the Daily Mail.
The Boca Raton location has amassed 137,000 followers on Instagram, but despite the mass following, it will be shuttering its doors on February 22
The landlord has said it will not be renewing the popular restaurant’s lease, leaving regulars heartbroken
However, Managing Partner, Chris Torelli (pictured), said the social media page will stay running. ‘You’re not going to shut down a page with 137,000 followers,’ he told the Daily Mail
Although Torelli doesn’t quite have a plan figured out for how to keep the page alive, he is brainstorming working with the girls at other stories or having alumni appearances.
The social media account was one of the reasons the location was so successful and his employees loved doing it.
He said people come to Hooters for an ‘ice cold beer and good wings, but we wanted to show the other side.’
Over the years, dozens of girls have appeared in their tiny orange shorts and tight white tank tops to promote the business.
The tight-knit location even threw an alumni event a few weeks ago, where 100 former employees came to send off the location.
At the end of the month, 55 employees will be affected by the closure, a lot of them college students.
Some of the employees will be able to transfer to the nearest store, but a lot of the college students don’t have the option to, Torelli said.
He also doesn’t know what will happen to the building, but said that the over the years, Sterling hasn’t let any of the businesses renew their leases.
He also doesn’t know what will happen to the building, but said that the over the years, Sterling hasn’t let any of the businesses renew their leases
The 55 employees and its regulars are saddened by the loss, as it was ‘more than just a restaurant,’ Torelli said
Some of the employees will be able to transfer to the nearest branch when the restaurant closes at the end of this month
The property is owned by Sterling Organizations, and over the years, none of the businesses were allowed to renew their leases when they ended, Torelli said
Now, all that’s left is a Moe’s and Five Guys after Hooters shutters, and once their leases run out, there won’t be much left but concrete.
‘One by one the leases end, and there’s no option to renew,’ Torelli told the Daily Mail. ‘It’s not like another restaurant is going to come in here.’
The 55 employees and its regulars are saddened by the loss, as it was ‘more than just a restaurant,’ Torelli said.
‘It there was a restaurant version of Cheers, this would be it,’ he told the Daily Mail.
‘Everybody’s a little bit upset.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Sterling Organizations for comment.