Hooters restaurant closes in Thousand Oaks

Lisa McKinnon | Ventura

Hooters closed Sunday in Thousand Oaks, a little more than six years after the restaurant's controversial debut in a stand-alone building at the Janss Marketplace.

Signs taped to the doors at 401 N. Moorpark Road read, "Hooters of Thousand Oaks will forever be closed on Sunday, June 10, 2018, at 8:00 p.m. Thank You — All staff."

On Monday, a manager working inside the restaurant said there was a "very small chance" the franchisee-operated site could reopen.

The manager said closing the Thousand Oaks restaurant had been discussed, but that there also had been a tentative plan to stay open "at least through the football season." About 30 employees were affected by the closure, which the manager described as "sudden."

An email sent to Hooters' corporate offices seeking comment was not immediately returned.

As of Monday afternoon, the Thousand Oaks location was still listed on the Hooters website. Its business phone also remained in operation.

Known for employing female servers dressed in orange short shorts and low-cut tank tops bearing the corporate logo — an owl with areolas for eyes — Hooters caused a stir when locals learned the chain wanted to open in the Conejo Valley.

From the archives: Hooters seeks full-bar license in Thousand Oaks (2013)

When hundreds of residents signed petitions to object to Hooters opening at the shopping center, the restaurant's operators withdrew initial plans to include a full bar. Instead, they opened the doors on May 13, 2012 — Mother's Day — with a special-use permit that allowed for beer and wine sales. The full-service bar license was added in February 2014.

Lisa McKinnon is a staff writer for The Star. To contact her, send email to lisa.mckinnon@vcstar.com. To have the VCS Eats newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, visit http://bit.ly/VCS_Eats and type in your email address.