Hoots, "a Hooters Joint," will be opening its second overall location later this year in Atlanta. The eatery, a quick-serve version of Hooters, will open in Madison Yards at 935 Memorial Drive in Reynoldstown. The new restaurant will occupy suite 310, an approximately 2,000 square foot space in the new AMC Theatres/Publix anchored project.

The first and currently only other hoots eatery, which opened in February 2017, is located in Cicero, a suburb of Chicago and is owned by a franchisee. The Madison Yards location will be corporately owned.





Hooters Chief Strategy Officer Sal Melilli said Cicero was chosen for the first hoots because of the strong carry-out business in the Chicago area.

The menu at hoots is condensed significantly from a typical Hooters, offering only Hooters' "top takeout sellers" such as various wings and chicken sandwiches and sides like fried pickles and loaded tots. Customers order at a counter, get a number, pick a table and retrieve their food from the counter when it's ready.

Employees, which include both male and female staff, wear either V-neck or polo hoots shirts with khaki pants, instead of the traditional "Hooters girl" look of tight T-shirts and short-shorts. Overall, the restaurant is far more family-friendly than its older, sexier sister.

Feedback on Yelp.com for hoots has been mixed with 51 reviews and an overall rating of three stars.

The existing hoots location offers third-party delivery via both DoorDash and Uber Eats, and it's likely that the Atlanta location will provide similar delivery options.

The opening of hoots in Reyoldstown - an intown neighborhood known for local restaurants and a growing millennial population - is a bit of an odd choice for a brand primarily known for suburban locations.

Adding to the puzzling choice is the fact that The Brass Tap, a Tampa-based casual restaurant similar to Taco Mac, closed at nearby Glenwood Place last August after little more than a year in business.

It's also worth noting that like its parent company, hoots will serve the Pepsi family of non-alcoholic beverages rather than Coke products.

Founded in Clearwater, Florida in 1983, Hooters is today based in Atlanta and operates more than 430 restaurants globally.

The Madison Yards location could be just the beginning of growth of the brand. A representative from the company's Atlanta area headquarters at 1815 The Exchange registered " Hoots Franchising, LLC " with the Georgia Secretary of State's office on July 16, 2018.





Hoots at Madison Yards should open later this summer.





Do you think the idea of a mini Hooters minus the boobs and babes will resonate with an intown market? What is your favorite chain restaurant in town? What Madison Yards restaurant opening are you most excited about?