Local News

Customers found locked doors and closure notices as the chain’s regional operator shuttered its remaining locations.

The last three Hooters restaurants in the state — Dedham, Saugus, and West Springfield — have closed, ending the chain’s decades-long run in Massachusetts, the company confirmed.

“After many years of serving the community, one of our long time franchisees in Massachusetts have closed their locations. This decision has been made as part of our current efforts to focus, revitalize and strengthen the original Hooters brand across America,” the brand said in a statement Thursday.

Customers arriving at the restaurants this week were greeted by identical signs taped to the doors.

“After much deliberation, we’ve made the difficult decision to close this location,” the notices read. “We are incredibly grateful for the many years of great times, cold beer, hot wings, and unforgettable memories shared here.”

The closures follow the shutdown of the chain’s Shrewsbury restaurant last month, leaving Massachusetts without a single Hooters location.

The restaurants were operated by Hooters of New York/New England, a Connecticut-based franchise group owned by Marc Phaneuf Sr. and Marc Phaneuf Jr. The family has operated Hooters franchises in the Northeast for more than three decades. 

Their original Wethersfield, Connecticut, restaurant has also closed.

According to state licensing records, the franchise group once operated four Hooters locations in Massachusetts and six others across New England and New York.

Boston.com was unable to reach the franchise owners for comment.

The closures are separate from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed by Hooters of America in 2025. 

As part of that restructuring, a group of original Hooters franchisees acquired more than 100 company-owned restaurants in states including Florida, Texas, Georgia, Indiana, and Illinois.

The first Hooters was opened in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida, by a group of six men with no experience in the restaurant industry, but who wanted a place “they wouldn’t get kicked out of.” 

The restaurant has since grew into an international chain known for chicken wings, sports-bar atmosphere, and its signature waitstaff. Hooters runs more than 420 locations in 29 countries. 

The end of Hooters in Massachusetts sparked plenty of reaction online. On Reddit, one commenter declared it the “end of a breastaurant,” while another joked that the chain was simply “going tits up.”