Hooters thanked the community for its years of loyalty and support as it shared the reason for closing the South Tampa location.

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay’s original “breastaurant” is closing its South Tampa location for good this month.

Hooters of South Tampa, located at 4420 W Gandy Boulevard, will close at the end of the day on March 22.

A Hooters spokesperson told 10 Tampa Bay News that the restaurant made the decision to close due to the lease expiring. 

“Our current efforts continue to focus, revitalize and strengthen the original Hooters brand across America. We are sincerely grateful to our guests, team members, and community partners for their continued support and loyalty throughout the years,” Hooters said in a statement.

Hooters of South Tampa is popular for its centralized locations. It’s just seven miles from St. Petersburg, a 10-minute drive to downtown Tampa, Amalie Arena and the Channelside District, and up the road from MacDill Air Force Base. 

Hooters abruptly closed dozens of locations across several states in June 2025, months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. At the time, the chicken wing chain said its plan was to sell its company-owned locations to a group of franchisees, making all locations franchise-owned.

The first Hooters opened in 1983 in Clearwater after six businessmen with no restaurant experience got together to create “a place they couldn’t get kicked out of,” the company’s website reads. Now, there are more than 420 Hooters locations in 29 countries.