Known for chicken wings and female servers in skimpy shorts and tight T-shirts, the first and only Hooters left in Jacksonville abruptly closed permanently after recent inspections cited dead roaches and rat droppings.
Dating back to 1986, the sports bar at 8938 San Jose Blvd. overlooking Goodbys Creek in Mandarin was the oldest and last of three Hooters in Northeast Florida.
Two signs taped to the front doors on Saturday, Oct. 3, offered a glimpse into the restaurant’s fate.
One sign announced: “Unfortunately we have closed permanently.”
The other sign was an official Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) notice stating the establishment was closed “to protect public health and safety.”
After 40 years, the first and only Hooters in Jacksonville abruptly closed permanently after a state health inspection cited dead roaches and rat droppings at the restaurant. Dating back to 1986, the sports bar at 8938 San Jose Blvd. at Goodbys Creek in Mandarin was the last of three Hooters that had been in Northeast Florida.
Workers could be seen apparently cleaning out the restaurant early that morning. Restaurant ownership couldn’t be reached for comment.
The Mandarin location remained listed on the company website and the restaurant’s social media pages as of mid-morning Oct. 3. A recording on the restaurant’s telephone offered options for placing a to-go order but didn’t mention the location is closed.
Recent inspection citesproblems
A sign taped to the front door on Oct. 3, 2026, announced that the first and only Hooters left in Jacksonville, 8938 San Jose Blvd., overlooking Goodbys Creek in Mandarin, had closed permanently. The sign was next to an orange official Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation notice stating the establishment was “closed to protect public health and safety.”
The state agency issued a temporary closure order following a Sept. 29 routine inspection that cited three High Priority, two intermediate and five basic violations.
The High Priority violations listed:
“Presence of insects, rodents, or other pests. Observed two dead roaches in glue trap in water heater room, observed one dead roach upstairs in glue trap on floor under shelving. Observed two dead insects in glue trap in water heater room. Warning.”
“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed four rodent droppings on floor in liquor closet off of dry storage. Observed two rodent droppings on the floor below dry storage shelving. Observed two rodent droppings on in-use bag in box soda containers in dry storage area. Observed two rodent droppings on floor in overflow storage upstairs. Observed two rodent droppings on floor behind ice machine. Observed approximately eight rodent droppings on floor in bar area to right of dish machine. Person in charge began cleaning and discarding. Corrective Action Taken. Repeat Violation. Admin Complaint.”
“Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking. Chicken held on time per person in charge brought out at 3 pm, no re-time marked. Mark observed is from 10 am. Person in charge marked appropriately. Corrected On-Site.”
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(Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union)
The Mandarin Hooters closure comes 27 months after the area’s restaurants began closing amid a company upheaval that saw dozens of Hooters nationwide shut their doors.
In June 2024, Hooters at 1740 Wells Road in Orange Park closed after a 24-year run. A year later, also in June, Hooters closed at 4521 Southside Blvd. in Tinseltown after 18 years.
Hooters, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., was founded in 1983 in Clearwater, Fla. The chain had about 208 locations in the United States as of Feb. 11, according to ScrapeHero, a widely recognized web scraping and data service.
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The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 31, 2025, in Texas. The company successfully emerged seven months later on Oct. 31, 2025, following a court-approved restructuring plan, according to court documents and news media reports.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: After 40 years, Jacksonville’s last Hooters restaurant abruptly closes