The South Florida Avenue Hooters, which opened in 1984 and was the second Hooter's in the nation, told employees Sunday morning they were permanently closing effective immediately.
The South Florida Avenue Hooters, which opened in 1984 and was the second Hooters in the nation, told employees Sunday morning they were permanently closing effective immediately. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

Social media was abuzz Sunday morning with the news that longtime Lakeland restaurant Hooters has shut its doors forever — one of at least a dozen popular eateries to hang up a “closed” notice in the past 18 months.

“Like many restaurants under pressure from the current market conditions, Hooters has made the difficult decision to close a select number of underperforming stores, including the Hooters of Lakeland located at 3437 S. Florida Ave,” said a letter given to employees at a meeting Sunday morning and posted on social media.

The closure was effective immediately, with no notice given to staff members. “Please trust that we did everything we could to avoid closing this location,” the letter read.

The location on U.S. 98 North remains open.

Hooters joins at least 20 other Lakeland restaurants that have closed their doors in the past year and a half. But overall, the city has gained more eateries than it has lost.

Other closures

2023:

2024:

Hooters legacy in Lakeland

Second Hooters in the U.S.: In 1984, Lakeland’s Hooters became the chain’s second location, after Clearwater. The local restaurant sat in front of the old Zayre’s store on South Florida Avenue.

Fond memories: Lakeland resident Natalie Oldenkamp greeted guests on the opening day in the restaurant’s trademarked tight orange shorts, tank top and white sneakers. She eventually worked for the corporate office in Atlanta, then returned to Lakeland and became general manager. She left in 2007 when the corporate structure changed.

“Hooters was a huge, 23-year part of my life and shaped who I am, and I can’t be more heartbroken,” Oldenkamp wrote on her Facebook page Sunday morning. “I hope the employees can be hired on at North Lakeland Hooters, but it would be hard to absorb a whole staff.”

A closed sign in the South Florida Avenue Hooters, which opened in 1984 and was the second Hooters in the nation.
A closed sign in the South Florida Avenue Hooters, which opened in 1984 and was the second Hooters in the nation. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

Passé theme? Oldenkamp’s sister, Joselle Celine Gilvezan, also worked at a Hooters in Atlanta and said the restaurant’s concept of attractive girls in uniforms that accentuated their curves might be dated.

“In this era, there’s a certain ‘ew’ factor to the tight shirt, short shorts and pantyhose young-women-only-server concept, no?” Gilvezan asked. “Objectification is so yesterday. All that said, there is a certain nostalgia factor with my family for Hooters.”

Oldenkamp disagreed. “We were the surfer chicks next door who would pour you a draft and serve you wings and oysters with a smile,” she said. “I always felt empowered and made work FUN.”

Other restaurant news

What’s next for the Taco Bus location? On Monday morning, a dumpster on Kentucky Ave. in front of the former Taco Bus was filled with custom-built booths and tables. Paper lined the windows.

Tim and Tina Calhoon, owners of neighboring Frescos, announced recently that they are taking over the space to accommodate their burgeoning catering business. But to avoid leaving vacant storefronts downtown, they will convert about 1,200 square feet to retail space.

“It will be much easier to manage a busy restaurant, event space and catering business when they are all connected,” Calhoon wrote.

Taco Bus on Kentucky Ave. S. in Lakeland closed in early June. Its furniture sat in a dumpster Monday morning as the owners of neighboring Frescos Bakery & Bistro make way for its expanded catering business.
Taco Bus at 126 S. Kentucky Ave. in Lakeland closed on June 2. Its furniture sat in a dumpster Monday morning. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

What about Red Lobster? One restaurant rumored to be closing was open for lunch on Monday afternoon. Red Lobster on U.S. Highway 98 North was doing a brisk lunch business, with its signature hot cheddar biscuits on the table. At least one patron was overheard telling his waitress he was glad they were still open.

The Red Lobster chain was founded in Lakeland on the southwest shore of Lake Parker in 1968, although the founders sold it a couple of years later.

The company filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, closing 99 restaurants in 28 states. A Fort Myers New-Press article stated that the Lakeland location is imperiled but may pull through. Its current lease is under renegotiation.

“We’ve been here for 56 years — we’re not going anywhere,” a manager told LkldNow.

The outlook for local restaurants

Lakeland Chamber of Commerce President Amy Wiggins said what happened with Hooters is the same thing challenging the entire industry.

“The restaurant business is a difficult business to begin with,” Wiggins said. “Food costs have contributed a lot to the growing challenges.”

But she added: “We’re not seeing closures of small restaurants. The community continues to support local restaurants.”

Openings outpace closures

At least 43 new brick-and-mortar eateries have opened in Lakeland in the past year and a half — including nine this month.

2023:

2024: 

Coming soon

Several more are due to open soon:

  • July 2024 — Curry Leaves Indian Cuisine, 3260 U.S. Highway 98 North (a second location for a Tampa-based restaurant).
  • Fall 2024 — Hachuko, 207 E. Main St. (a Tokyo pub-inspired upscale Japanese restaurant by the owners of Sabu Ramen in the Joinery).
  • TBD — Mootown Scoops, 719 E. Palmetto Street
  • TBD — Metro Diner, 5295 S. Florida Ave. (former site of Sumo Sushi)
  • TBD — Burger restaurant by the owners of LoveBird Chicken, 801 E. Main St. (former site of Unfiltered).
  • TBD — A wine garden and Bright Ice Scoop Shop, 1212 S. Florida Ave. (former site of Petals Flower Shoppe).
  • TBD — Twin Peaks, 3901 U.S. Highway 98 North (former site of Smokey Bones).
  • TBD — Hong BBQ and Hot Pot, 5125 S. Florida Ave. (former site of Shells Seafood)

Did we miss something? Let us know by emailing newstips@lkldnow.com

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Kimberly C. Moore, who grew up in Lakeland, has been a print, broadcast and multimedia journalist for more than 30 years. Before coming to LkldNow in the spring of 2022, she was a reporter for four years with The Ledger, first covering Lakeland City Hall and then Polk County schools. She is the author of “Star Crossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak," published by University Press of Florida. Reach her at kimberly@lkldnow.com or 863-272-9250.

Cindy's reporting for LkldNow focuses on Lakeland city government. Previously, she was a crime reporter, City Hall reporter and chief political writer for newspapers including the Albuquerque Journal and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. She spent a year as a community engagement coordinator for the City of Lakeland before joining LkldNow in 2023. Reach her at cindy@lkldnow.com or 561-212-3429.

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