For more than four decades, Hooters has been one of America's most recognizable restaurant chains, famous for its wings, "delightfully tacky" atmosphere, and all-female waitstaff. By the mid-2000s, the chain had its own airline, casino, and calendar, and it operated hundreds of locations around the world. But what most people don't realize is that, from almost the beginning, Hooters wasn't one company — it was two. And in 2025, the larger of the two filed for bankruptcy after years of declining