The last Hooters restaurant in Connecticut permanently closed its doors March 1, 2026, ending the chain's 33-year presence in the state.
The restaurant at 1731 Berlin Turnpike in Wethersfield posted a sign on its door notifying customers of the closure: "After 33 incredible years, we have made the difficult decision to close this location."
The Wethersfield location was the final remaining Hooters in Connecticut after the chain's Manchester location closed in July 2024. No other Connecticut Hooters locations remain.
Hooters' National Bankruptcy and Restructuring
The Wethersfield closure comes in the wake of Hooters of America LLC's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The company filed for bankruptcy protection on March 31, 2025, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, citing roughly $376 million in debt.
Following the filing, Hooters closed dozens of its corporate-owned locations across the country as it restructured its operations. A reorganization plan was confirmed by the bankruptcy court on October 30, 2025, and became effective the following day. Under that plan, Hooters transitioned to a fully franchise-operated model, with a franchisee-backed buyer group taking over ownership of approximately 130 domestic locations.
Locations not acquired by franchisees — including the Wethersfield restaurant — were wound down as the restructuring was completed.
Wethersfield Location's History
The Wethersfield Hooters opened in approximately 1993 and operated for more than three decades along the Berlin Turnpike, a commercial corridor that connects Wethersfield, Newington, and Berlin along Route 5/15. The restaurant was a fixture of the I-91 corridor for generations of Connecticut diners.
At its peak, Hooters operated multiple Connecticut locations. The Manchester restaurant closed in July 2024, leaving Wethersfield as the sole remaining location in the state before its closure this month.