A new Hooter's concept that draws inspiration from fast-casual chains like Chipotle and Panera will have both male and female servers.

But if you were hoping to live out your "Magic Mike" fantasies while visiting the restaurant, you may be disappointed — servers at the new restaurant will ditch the revealing uniforms that helped make the original "breastaurant" chain famous, Tampa Bay Times reported.

The first location of the new concept, called Hoots, will use counter service, similar to the fast-casual styles of restaurants like Panera and Chipotle. Instead of sitting down and being served by a scantily clad waitresses, at Hoots customers will order from both men and women and then pick up food at the counter to take out or eat in the restaurant.

The chain will serve a simplified menu, which will feature Hooter's famous wings. The location will also have a full-service bar.

The first Hoots restaurant will open in Circero, Illinois, next month. Clearwater, Florida-based Hooters Management Corp., one of two companies that oversee Hooters locations around the world, is behind the new restaurant.

SEE ALSO: Forget burgers and fries — fried chicken is taking over the fast-food industry

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NOW WATCH: What it takes to work at Hooters

Hooter's is dressing up for its new restaurant concept. 

You won't find waitresses in micro-shorts and cleavage-baring tops at Hooter's new fast-casual chain, Hoots, which opened doors Monday in Chicago. In fact, you might be served by a man. (Hooters has famously never hired male waiters.)

The counter service restaurant looks a lot more like a Chipotle or a Panera than a Hooters restaurant. Customers order at a counter and food can be eaten in or taken out. 

The chain serves a simplified menu, which includes Hooter's famous wings.

Hoots is located in Cicero, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

Here's what it looks like inside:

 The servers' uniforms are pretty standard.

The new menu features many Hooters classics...

... including its signature wings, with 8 different sauces to choose from.

There's also a full-service bar. 

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NOW WATCH: How Tabasco sauce is made

A rival is challenging Hooters' position as the top dog in the "breastaurant" business. 

Twin Peaks is one of the few chains in the sit-down, casual dining business that's actually increasing sales in 2017. The chain — known for its scantily clad "Twin Peaks girls"— is growing quickly, with system sales increasing 63% from 2013 to 2015, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. And, the 80-location chain is eager to expand, with executives eyeing the West Coast as a fertile ground for new locations. 

According to the CEO, the chain's success is all thanks to the Twin Peaks' waitresses. 

"We made sure our Twin Peaks girl is at the forefront. She’s a big part of our brand DNA. She gives us an extra edge that others don’t have,"CEO Joe Hummel recently told Nation's Restaurant News. 

Hummel would know what the rest of the industry has to offer. He worked at Hooters for eight years, starting in 2003, serving as the company's executive vice president of operations and purchasing.

In 2011, Hummel and other ex-Hooters executives signed on to become Twin Peaks franchisees. Hooters sued Hummel and his franchise company, La Cima, for misappropriating trade secrets (the suit was settled out of court in 2012). 

Twin Peaks, which was founded in Lewisville, Texas in 2005, has a slightly different feel than Hooters' sports bar-esque atmosphere, calling itself a "sports lodge." 

Restaurants serve American classics like burgers, wings, and even "Mom's Pot Roast." The company brews some of its own craft beers, with names like Knotty Brunette, Gold Digger, and Dirty Blonde. 

While the name of the company is a clear double entendre, Twin Peaks also fits the mountain lodge image with fireplaces, craft beers, and waitresses wearing plaid and boots. 

The chain prides itself in going beyond Hooters' cropped t-shirts and short-shorts when it comes to what it means to be dressed in a workplace appropriate manner. 

"Hooters just wasn't racy enough," founder and then-CEO Randy DeWitt told Bloomberg in 2014. 

The wait staff wears tiny plaid shirts and barely-there shorts. For special occassions, like Valentine's Day or St. Patrick's Day, the Twin Peaks waitresses often serve beers and mozz sticks in actual lingerie. 

Hooters, on the other hand, has been downplaying the sexualized aspects of its business in recent years. As Twin Peaks has expanded, the number of Hooters locations in the US have dropped by more than 7% from 2012 to 2016, and sales have stagnated, according to industry reports. In response, Hooters has been emphasizing catering and opened up a fast-casual location with fully-clothed waiters — women and men. 

Even breastaurants like Twin Peaks and Hooters can't escape the challenges that all casual, sit-down chains are facing as traffic declines across the industry. 

However, Hummel seems confident that Twin Peaks will be able to set itself apart from the competition. 

"Casual dining is competitive," he told NRN. "We look at everyone who serves food and beverage as a competitor. When you are deciding where to eat, we want you to think of us."

SEE ALSO: Hooters is hiring male servers at its new restaurant

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NOW WATCH: Why this cactus is listed for $250,000

Millennials are less interested in breasts than their elders.

People from the age of 18 to 24 are 19% less likely to search for breasts on pornographic website Pornhub compared to all other age groups, according to an analysis conducted by the website.

For comparison, Pornhub visitors from the ages of 55 to 64 are 17% more likely to search for breast-related content.

Millennials' pornography preferences seem to be part of a wider trend.

"At the moment, larger breasts are out, though I’m sure they’ll come back," Sarah Pedersen, professor of communications and media at Robert Gordon University, told Playboy. "We tend to react to what went before."

For "breastaurants" like Hooters and Twin Peaks, a loss of interest in breasts is bad for business. The number of Hooters locations in the US has dropped by more than 7% from 2012 to 2016, and sales have stagnated, according to industry reports.

Part of Hooters' struggles are tied to the sales slump that is hitting most sit-down causal-dining chains. But a lack of interest in waitresses' cleavage — especially when there are breastaurants like Twin Peaks promising more scandalous experiences elsewhere— likely isn't helping.

Hooters has struggled to win over millennials for some time now. In 2012, the chain attempted to revamp its image with updated decor and new menu items to attract more millennial and female customers.

"For years they've only been working toward Generation X, but now they need to try to get millennials to come through the doors," Darren Tristano of food industry consulting company Technomic told Time in 2012.

In light of the decline of breasts' influence in America, it comes as no surprise that Hooters has been emphasizing catering and opened up a fast-casual location with fully clothed servers— women and men.

While porn habits may change, millennials still love chicken wings.

SEE ALSO: One of Costco's greatest perks is under siege

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NOW WATCH: What it's like inside North Korea's controversial restaurant chain

Baristas working at "sexpresso" coffee stands are suing for their right to work wearing nothing but barely-there bikinis.

On Monday, a group of baristas and one coffee-stand owner filed a lawsuit against Everett, Washington, after the city passed restaurant dress code ordinances that essentially abolish "bikini stands,"The Seattle Times reported.

The baristas argued that the ordinances — which ban bikinis as well as bare shoulders, midriffs, and buttocks on restaurant employees — violate their constitutional rights to free expression. Further, the lawsuit alleges that the ordinances intentionally target women and infringe on baristas' right to privacy.

"This is not about the bikini," attorney Schuyler Lifschultz reportedly said. "It's about women's rights and the US Constitution. The city of Everett violated these women's rights across the board."

The Everett City Council passed the dress-code ordinances in August, which The Seattle Times says effectively abolish bikini-clad baristas and so-called sexpresso coffee stands from the city.

"The proposed dress code would be a minimum of tank top and shorts," the Everett bikini stand Candy Girls Espresso wrote on Facebook in August just before the ordinances passed. "Tonight is the last night for public comment on the ridiculousness of this proposed ordinance. We need all your help to speak out against this attack on bikini stands!"

Bikini stands have exploded in popularity in the past decade, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Many traditional "breastaurant" chains like Hooters have struggled to keep up as concepts like Candy Girls and Bottoms Up Espresso have pushed racy employee dress codes to the limit.

SEE ALSO: A Hooters-style coffee shop is planning to open hundreds of locations

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NOW WATCH: Why this cactus is listed for $250,000

Millennials' preferences are killing dozens of industries.

There are many complex reasons millennials' preferences differ from prior generations', including less financial stability and memories of growing up during the recession.

"I think we have got a very significant psychological scar from this great recession," Morgan Stanley analyst Kimberly Greenberger told Business Insider.

Sign up for Business Insider's newsletter: What you need to know every day delivered right to your inbox.

Here are 19 things millennials are killing.

SEE ALSO: Millennials reveal their 100 favorite brands

Casual dining chains like Buffalo Wild Wings and Applebee's

Brands such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Ruby Tuesday, and Applebee's have faced sales slumps and dozens of restaurant closings as casual-dining chains have struggled to attract customers and increase sales.

In August, Applebee's announced it would close up to 135 restaurants, in part because it focused too much on winning over millennials and forgot its "Middle America roots." 

"Millennial consumers are more attracted than their elders to cooking at home, ordering delivery from restaurants, and eating quickly, in fast-casual or quick-serve restaurants," Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith wrote in a letter to shareholders earlier this year.

The concept of "starter homes"— they're renting longer and buying expensive houses later

Contrary to popular belief, millennials are interested in purchasing homes. They're just waiting longer to buy.

A September report from the real-estate website and app Zillow found that millennials — i.e., people between the ages of 18 and 34 — are the largest group of homebuyers in the US. (The median age of a homebuyer is 36.)

Spencer Rascoff, Zillow's CEO, has some insight into why millennials are delaying their first home purchases. On an episode of Business Insider's podcast, "Success! How I Did It," Rascoff broke it down for our US editor-in-chief, Alyson Shontell:

"As a result of limited starter-home inventory, they're renting longer. And when they buy their first home, they're buying a much nicer home than a prior generation," he said.

"I mean, many people are basically skipping starter homes; they're renting until their 30s, and that first house they buy is a million dollars, and they just are not even buying the $200,000, $300,000, $400,000 home, which is a total mind shift as compared with previous generations. So they're still buying homes — they're just buying them later and buying them bigger."

Beer

In late July, Goldman Sachs downgraded both Boston Beer Company and Constellation Brands based on data suggesting that younger consumers prefer wine and spirits to beer, as well as the fact that they're drinking less alcohol than older generations more generally.

Beer penetration fell 1% from 2016 to 2017 in the US market, while both wine and spirits were unmoved, according to Nielsen ratings. 

While some argue that calling a 1% drop in penetration a beer-industry homicide case is an overreaction, small shifts have a huge financial impact on beer industry giants. Beer already lost 10% of market share to wine and hard liquor from 2006 to 2016.

• Hooters is the most famous "breastaurant" in America. 
• As two Hooters dilettantes, we went in expecting to be disappointed. 
• Instead, we found a pleasant atmosphere, good wings — and even some tasty oysters.

As two 20-somethings who had made it this long without ever visiting Hooters, we were both at peace with perhaps never dining at said establishment.

But as chain restaurant reporters and connoisseurs, we knew the omission of the nation's most famous "breastaurant" would not stand. 

Since its founding in 1983, Hooters has become something of a pop culture icon synonymous with buxom waitresses and... wings. There's a "bro-culture" vibe attached to the brand; in our minds, it seemed to have the stench of toxic masculinity, even from afar.

However, what we found upon venturing inside the chain was vastly different from our preconceived notion. Here's why everyone should give Hooters a chance. 

SEE ALSO: Chipotle is facing a reckoning — and I saw why it may never again be the chain it once was

The only Hooters in Manhattan is located mere minutes from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden — a prime locale for a wings-oriented sports bar.

The chain is vaguely beachy, fitting with its slogan, "Life's a beach." Hooters started in Clearwater, Florida, as something of a joke; the founders weren't very confident about their odds of survival.

But today, there are over 430 locations in 28 countries worldwide. And this location was reasonably busy, especially for a midday Friday in an area traveled by commuters.

• We ate dozens of meals at fast-food restaurants in 2017. 
• A couple of the big names came through with strange new menu items that were actually good. 
• A few newcomers wowed us, too, and made our list of the best things we've eaten this year. 

A lot happened in 2017.

McDonald's ran out of Schezuan sauce, inspiring riots. Taco Bell served fried chicken. Millions retweeted a teen desperate for free Wendy's chicken nuggets. And some other stuff, too.

As two fast-food reporters and superfans, we've eaten dozens upon dozens of meals at chain restaurants across the country this year. From Filipino fast-food to all-American McDonald's, we've traversed the culinary globe of chain dining. 

Looking back at the year, we wanted to pay tribute to the menu items whose stars shone the brightest. These aren't all new menu items, but they were new to us. Here's the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the crown jewels of quick service in 2017.

SEE ALSO: Walmart and Amazon's long-simmering feud exploded in 2017 — and it's redefining retail

Raising Cane's chicken fingers

We thought we knew chicken. But no man knows chicken until they have tried Raising Cane's chicken fingers. 

Time for a little Cane's theory: by focusing exclusively on chicken fingers, Raising Cane's is able to perfect the form in a way few competitors can even dream of. They're crispy yet light, perfectly juicy, and tender.  

Waffle House's steak melt

Waffle House is an American icon, but one that Hollis had sadly never visited prior to this year. On a trip to Virginia, we decided to right this egregious wrong. 

The entire menu was fantastic, but the steak melt is a hit more so due to its underdog status. As we said at the time, "the gestalt of its harmoniously greasy, cheesy, perfectly tender, and masterfully toasted creation nearly drove us to tears." 

Taco Bell's Naked Chicken Chalupa

Taco Bell's stunt menu items are hit-or-miss. This year, we had a runaway hit on our hands with the Naked Chicken Chalupa. To be honest, we were initially incredibly suspicious of a chalupa that uses fried chicken as a shell.

But our suspicions were soon allayed. The Naked Chicken Chalupa showcases surprisingly tasty and spicy chicken and classic Taco Bell fillings, balanced against the crux of the very chalupa itself: a smooth avocado ranch sauce. 

• Hooters is exploring new ways to bring in millennial customers.
• CEO Terry Marks referred to the chain's reputation for having scantily clad servers as a "polarizing issue." 
• He said the chain would be pivoting towards delivery to boost sales.

Hooters is changing its tactics to win back customers.

The iconic breastaurant is finding new ways to win over millennial customers who are less interested in breasts than their elders. 

CEO Terry Marks said that the brand will be picking up its delivery business in 2018 to combat the trend, the New York Post reported.

"Delivery [solves] the polarizing issue the brand has had," Marks said at the ICR Retail conference in Orlando this week, referring to the chain's scantily clad servers. 

"Many people wouldn't step foot in our restaurants, but they want our product," he said.

Hooters' delivery business has grown by more than 30% over the past year, according to the New York Post. There are now 96 Hooters locations that offer delivery or take-out. In 2016, there were just seven.

Still, the chain has suffered in recent years. The number of Hooters locations in the US dropped by more than 7% from 2012 to 2016 amid stagnant sales, according to industry reports.

Hooters has also been impacted by an industry-wide sales slump as millennials lose interest in fast-casual dining and shift towards ordering delivery and cooking at home. 

Last year, the chain launched a new restaurant with fully-clothed servers, called Hoots.

SEE ALSO: We visited America's most famous 'breastaurant' for the first time — and what we found shocked us

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NOW WATCH: Why Rolex watches are so expensive

You might not remember it, but at one point Hooters had an airline. Hooters Air launched in 2003, but closed about three years later. The company cited a number of reasons for the airline's failure, including a $40 million loss. But in the short time that Hooters Air existed, it made a major economic impact on one city in particular — Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — that's where the airline was headquartered, and where it brought thousands of tourists every week.

We talked to people who worked for Hooters Air — flight attendants and one pilot (who asked to remain anonymous). They told us what it was really like to work for the airline (which featured two Hooters Girls on every flight) and dispelled some common misperceptions about what it was like to fly it. Hooters declined to comment for this story. Following is a transcript of the video.

Hooters Air puts the fun back into flying!

Business Insider: Wait a minute. 

Hooters Girls on every flight.

BI: Hooters had an airline?

All leather seats with extra leg room. Call 888-FLY-HOOT!

BI: You might not have known about Hooters Air because it didn’t last long. It started in 2003, and initially, the airline was successful. But it shut down just 3 years later.

Nick Mantis: We're here at the Gary/Chicago International Airport where Hooters Air is about to make their maiden flight to Myrtle Beach. 

BI: Based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, it offered low-price, direct flights to more than 15 destinations in the US. Airfares were a flat rate of $129 each way. So, why did Hooters think it was a good idea to start an airline? And why did it fail?

If you like what you see here on the outside, you’re gonna love what you see on the inside.

BI: Hooters was founded by six businessmen in Clearwater, Florida in 1983. A year later, an Atlanta-based group led by Bob Brooks saw the company’s potential and bought it outright.

Kate Taylor:  It was the first “breastaurant” chain, so basically they pioneered the idea that they were going to have all their waiters wear short shorts and really tight tank tops.

Do you know why our beer is so cold here at Hooters? Because we keep it in the refrigerator.

Taylor: From the 80s until the early 2000s, it was a very successful kind of growing business. 

BI: By 2003, Hooters was flush with cash, and Bob Brooks wanted to expand the brand, so he bought a small North Carolina-based charter airline called Pace Airlines. He repainted the airplanes with the company logo… and Hooters Air took off.

Nick Mantis: What would you tell people watching the show about Hooters Air?

Hooters Girl: You should definitely do it. It’s an experience like no other.

Nick Mantis: What about yourself?

Hooters Girl 2: It’s gonna be the most exciting time of your life!

Former Hooters Air pilot: I’m probably one of the few pilots that can say I actually went to pilot heaven.

BI: This is the voice of a former Hooters Air pilot. He asked to remain anonymous.

Former Hooters Air pilot: There was a lot of intrigue about this airline, not because of what was happening on the inside, but more so what people perceived from the outside.

Hooters Girl: It’s gonna be a nice change of pace from the restaurant. Instead of serving food and picking up trash we get to just basically entertain and ask trivia questions and all that.

BI: A common misperception about Hooters Air was that the flight attendants on the flights were Hooters girls. Not exactly. In addition to the two Hooters girls, there were three FAA-certified flight attendants on every flight.

Sara Nitz: The flight attendants are the ones who serve all the food and the drinks, per usual. I had a professional uniform. I had a navy blue dress with like a little orange scarf. Very professional. It had the little owl embroidered on it. 

Kimberly Cerimele: We just did the safety procedures and stuff like that. Then we had two Hooters girls from different restaurants from the area that would do the trivia on the plane. But they had no training whatsoever. They were just there just for passenger fun.

Nick Mantis: What all is it gonna include? You guys are gonna be up there serving customers?

Hooters Girl: No wings! But great food. We got some soft pretzels and, like, pigs in a blanket, and maybe some ... fruit!

Nitz: Two Hooters Girls would get up during the flight and do trivia or little games or sing a song. I think they just sat in their seats the whole time until it was their five minutes to get up, and that was it. The rest of the time us flight attendants are working.

BI: Were there ever any incidents that you witnessed, of harassment or customers getting a little too inebrieted? 

Cerimele: I never saw any kind of harassment. There was definitely flirtiness. With any flight, you’re gonna come across people that have drank too much, but nothing bad. It was fun. We did our job right. It was just - very happy memories.

Fares from $99. Convenient morning departures and evening returns. 

BI: Hooters Air helped out smaller airports like the one in Gary, Indiana - just 25 miles southeast of Chicago.

Paul Karas: It's good news. More airline service. More airline activity. More economic development. More jobs. More people spending money in Northwest Indiana and southern Chicagoland. So it's very good news. 

BI: And it was an economic boon to one city in particular: Myrtle Beach, where the airline was officially headquartered.

Brad Dean: In its hey Hooters Air was bringing between 3,000 and 5,000 a week into the Myrtle Beach area.  2:40 Hooters Air was more than just an airline. It was a huge philanthropic contribution to the Myrtle Beach area by Mr. Brooks who had a vision that the Myrtle Beach area could grow and  expand and evolve as a tourism destination and a business community. 

BI: Hooters Air was big for Myrtle Beach, but it wasn’t enough to keep it airborne. So Hooters shut it down in 2006, citing a $40 million loss.

Henry Harteveldt: It was compounded by a couple of factors. They started the airline as the airline industry was recovering from the 9/11 attacks. People were scared of getting on airplanes. There was growing low-fare competition in the market as Southwest and other airlines in the market had begun to expand.  And jet fuel prices were trending upwards. So it just wasn’t an economically viable business.

BI: Hooters chairman Bob Brooks passed away in 2006, the same year that Hooters Air shut down.

Brad Dean: There are people at work and people visiting the Myrtle Beach area that might never have had the opportunity to do so if it weren’t for Bob Brooks, so we remain very grateful for his investment in his airline and our community.

BI: Despite the failure of Hooters Air, the Hooters brand continued to thrive. 

Kate Taylor: They’ve opened up hundreds of locations in the US and outside of the US. They’re more than a $250 million business at this point. And they kind of took over the US and then the world.

Former Hooters Air pilot: Oftentimes going into cities, we’d be on an approach and we’d hear the air traffic controller say, “Do you have the Hooters airplane in sight and if you do, follow that aircraft."

Other pilots would often say ‘yeah, you mean the airplane with the big hooters? We have it in sight.”

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• As Hooters' sales slump, Twin Peaks is on the rise. 
• The mountain lodge-themed "breastaurant" chain has reported nine quarters of positive comparable sales, with same-store sales growing 5.1% in 2017.
• According to CEO Joe Hummel, Twin Peaks' success depends on successfully combining "Twin Peaks girls" with a foodie-approved menu. 
• "Everybody's a foodie nowadays," Hummel told Business Insider. "You can't fool the consumer in today's world." 

A Hooters competitor is beating the original "breastaurant" brand at its own game. 

In the past year, Twin Peaks topped Knapp-Track's list of concepts ranked by comparable sales growth. The 81-location chain has reported nine quarters of positive comparable sales, with same-store sales growing 5.1% in 2017.

According to Twin Peaks' CEO, Joe Hummel, the chain has risen above its rivals by perfecting its mix of scantily-clad "Twin Peaks girls" and a vast, foodie-approved menu. 

"Everybody's a foodie nowadays," Hummel told Business Insider. "You can't fool the consumer in today's world, with all the different food shows and food networks that are out there."

Twin Peaks' customers are more than 70% male and primarily in their twenties and early thirties, though Hummel is sure to note that "we obviously appeal to all different ages and genders." 

Twin Peaks was founded in Lewisville, Texas, in 2005. From the start, the chain has offered a slightly different take on the breastaurant concept than its more well-known rival. 

"Hooters just wasn't racy enough," founder and then-CEO Randy DeWitt told Bloomberg in 2014.

However, talking to Hummel in 2018, Twin Peaks' menu is just as important in distinguishing the chain from rivals like Hooters. While the chain airs sports games and identifies itself as a "sports lodge," Hummel is just as proud of its made-from-scratch menu as its Twin Peaks girls. 

"It's just a wide variety of different styles of food that don't necessarily fit the stereotypical sports bar," Hummel said.

Twin Peaks' menu includes things such as breakfast tacos, pot roast, and chicken and waffles in addition to extensive wings and tacos selections.  

That isn't to say that Twin Peaks is all chicken, no breasts.

Twin Peaks girls continue to serve as the spokeswoman for the chain, plastered on advertisements across print, TV, and social media campaigns. Even with millennials' rumored disinterest in cleavage and questions about female objectification, Hummel thinks the "breastaurant" business model is sticking around. 

"When you look at the recipe of a beautiful Twin Peaks girl, combined with great beverages, great food, and a warm setting, we don't see that ever changing," Hummel said. 

Twin Peaks is kicking off an expansion push in 2018, with plans to open roughly five new locations this year. Next year, the chain plans to open up 12 new restaurants, and it's on track to open roughly 15 to 18 in 2020. Ultimately, Hummel says, there's easily potential for more than 250 to 300 locations. 

Much of the sit-down, casual-dining industry has been plagued by a "sea of sameness," with chains like Chili's, Applebee's, and TGI Fridays struggling to stand out from the crowd.

The Twin Peaks girls help the chain stand out from its more straight-laced casual-dining competition. And, the tweaks to the breastaurant formula — like sub-freezing craft beer, an extended menu, and a lodge theme — set it apart from more unbuttoned rivals. 

"I think our total brand DNA, there's a demand for it," Hummel said. "Everybody has done little bits and pieces of it, but no one has done the whole program." 

SEE ALSO: We visited America's most famous 'breastaurant' for the first time — and what we found shocked us

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Hooters, the restaurant chain known for its hot wings and tank top-wearing servers, operated an airline in the early 2000s.
• You might not have known about it because it didn't last long — about three years in fact.
• Here's how Hooters Air became a successful airline before turning into a $40 million failure.

You might not remember it, but Hooters once had an airline.

The restaurant chain launched an air service in 2003, and onboard every flight were two Hooters servers that helped tend to passengers.

Three years after it launched, however, Hooters Air shut down, but not before the iconic "breastaurant" enjoyed a short period of success in the sky.

We talked to people who worked for Hooters Air — flight attendants and one pilot (who asked to remain anonymous) — as well as a few industry experts to find out what happened. They told us what it was really like to work for the airline, dispelled some common misperceptions about what it was like to fly it, and explained the airline's rapid downfall.

Here's how Hooters Air became a successful airline before turning into a $40 million failure.

SEE ALSO: I flew 14 hours on one of the best airlines in the world that you've probably never heard of — and even its worst seat put other long-haul flights to shame

Hooters has been offering patrons beer and hot wings, among other things, from its chain of restaurants for 35 years now.

The chain's trademark waitresses, clad in orange shorts and tank tops, have helped cement Hooters as the original "breastaurant" of the food industry.

But as popular as the company may be, one fact often forgotten...

• Comedian George Lopez confronted a customer at a Hooters restaurant in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Sunday. 
• An insider told TMZ that the customer had been making pro-Trump comments and yelling "MAGA" all night.
• Lopez, 57, can be seen snatching the man's phone and grabbing him by the back of the neck.

Comedian George Lopez was filmed confronting a customer at a Hooters restaurant in New Mexico on Sunday.

TMZ, which obtained footage of the altercation, reports that the man Lopez confronted was a supporter of President Donald Trump.

The confrontation happened in Las Cruces, where Lopez had been filming the upcoming movie "Walking with Herb."

An insider told TMZ that the customer had been making pro-Trump comments and yelling "MAGA" all night before Lopez, who does not support the president, confronted him.

In video of the incident, the man sees Lopez and says, "Here come by boy, George."

Lopez, 57, can be seen snatching the man's phone and grabbing him by the back of the neck.

"George wants to fight me, George wants to fight me!" the man said in the video.

There were no reported injuries in the confrontation and the police were not called.

Lopez has long been a vocal critic of Trump and his administration.

Earlier this year, he filmed a video pretending to urinate on Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

Last year, he was reportedly booed off stage after making jokes about the president during a charity event.

Months earlier, he shared a photo on Instagram that featured the text: “The Trump administration is deporting Latinos to make the streets safer... You wanna make the streets safer deport the police!" 

INSIDER has contacted Lopez's representative for a comment on Sunday's video.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Hooters is both famous and infamous for its scantily clad waitresses.
• As a young woman and feminist, I've always thought Hooters had a pretty sexist concept, so I never set foot in one.
• I went to a location in New York to eat my first Hooters meal, and my experience was full of surprises.
• The biggest one? I'd go back.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

I'm a feminist.

I've gotten in a lot of arguments over it, mostly online, but also sometimes with my more conservative family members. I've also been called a "feminazi" by totally original and bravely anonymous men on Reddit, which I consider a badge of honor.

So it tracks that I'd never set foot in a Hooters until work called for it. Hooters is possibly the most notorious of the "breastaurants," the food establishments that draw in a mostly male crowd thanks to their scantily clad waitresses.

Sure, I'm attracted to women as well as men and people in between. But I like my women like I like my coffee: not from chain restaurants.

Read more: I just ate at Texas Roadhouse for the first time, and it lived up to the hype

Still, as Business Insider's in-house try-everything person, it was my duty to journey into what I see as the land of commercialized misogyny.

However, my odyssey didn't quite go as expected. Read on to see why.

SEE ALSO: I ate the cheapest cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King. Wendy's was best by a slice.

In the late afternoon, I went to the Hooters restaurant in midtown Manhattan in New York City.

The interior was dimly lit and covered in wood panels and flat-screen TVs. The back of T-shirts said: "Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined." Whoever came up with that slogan probably didn't realize that the "yet" is unnecessary.

Read more:40% of women working in fast food have been sexually harassed at work

I was surprised to see a store selling merchandise at the front. Who wants a T-shirt that basically screams "I objectify women"?

There was also a high-tech jukebox that needed more love.

The walls were covered in bikini babes ...

... but all of the wall TVs featured only men, either playing sports or talking about them. Most of the patrons appeared to be men dining alone or with their bros. I was surprised, however, to see several mixed-gender groups and even a family or two.

As I was taking photos, a male patron who was leaving the restaurant looked me up and down and approached me. "Hey," he said. "I like your shoes." I thanked him curtly and hurried to my table.

Once at my table, I looked through the menu. I was skeptical of both the chardonnay and the raw oysters advertised as Monday specials. Good thing it wasn't Monday. My server, Diana, recommended the Daytona Beach Style wings, which are unbreaded wings fried, tossed in sauce, then grilled.

I waited about 40 minutes for my wings to arrive, which was the lowlight of my visit. I watched as waitresses in orange booty shorts and white tees or tanks zoomed by me with trays of wings balanced on their palms. Always the bridesmaid, never the person eating the wings.

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When my wings finally did arrive, they were served by a guy wearing a black logo T. He wasn't even wearing orange booty shorts! I was so disappointed. I may have been the only solo female diner, but I, too, deserved my wings with a side of booty. Was it because I'm a woman? Maybe I should have just worn a T-shirt declaring "Also here for the butts" in bold print.

I turned my attention to the wings on my table.

Diana had told me these wings were her favorite because they were extra crispy and spicy.

I was stunned by how tasty these actually were.

The outer glaze was sweet and just a tiny bit spicy.

They were on the smaller side, but they packed a big flavor punch. The skin was crispy and saucy while the meat inside was juicy.

I started to question everything I believed in. If I liked Hooters' wings, could I still call myself a feminist?

Read more:I ate 8 chicken sandwiches from fast-food chains, and the best was also the cheapest

I wrenched my mind away from questions of morality and integrity and refocused it on my next morsel: a drumstick.

Since I'd eaten the first wing without sauce, I decided to give this one a generous dip into my ranch cup.

It was also good with ranch, but not better. I decided to eat the rest plain.

I lost myself in my 10-piece platter, which actually contained 13 wings. They were so good that I'd forget I was in a Hooters until an orange butt would walk by and I'd make awkward eye contact with its owner, who I assumed was wondering why I was there.

After all, it seemed to me that what Hooters offers its diners (in addition to food) weren't things that I lack: female attention and boobs.

As they walked the floor, the waitresses' expressions were steely. I recognized the same "don't talk to me" face that I wear when I face harassment on the street. I found myself developing a profound respect for these women as I imagined what they might endure from their patrons on a regular basis.

I pondered their struggles as I polished off wing after wing ...

... after wing.

Read more:I compared the legendary McChicken with 4 cheap sandwiches from other fast-food chains, and it proved the original is still the best

I found my mind wandering to other unexpected questions, like "What do Hooters' other wings taste like?""Should I have tried the hot wings instead?""What about the original?""Will my feminist friends judge me if I become a regular at Hooters?"

How many people who "read Playboy for the articles" also "go to Hooters for their wings"? And am I in danger of becoming one of them?

I definitely was. I'm definitely coming back to Hooters for the wings.

When I was done, Diana brought over my check and a box for the leftovers. I asked her to pose for a picture. She agreed. "I'm a journalist," I told her, but she didn't seem to care. I'm sure she's heard that line before.

From my understanding, each check comes with a personalized flirty note from the server. Diana had circled her name with a heart, which was good because I hadn't remembered her name from when she introduced herself. Still, I wondered if she was really happy to have me, or if that's just what she says to all the guests. I chose to believe the first.

And, even if I don't need the ego boost that Hooters may offer for some customers, Diana provided me with one last compliment on my way out: "I like your shoes." I thanked her and scurried out, bag of leftovers in hand.

• Chicken wings are always in season.
• I tried the wings at Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, TGI Friday's, Bonchon Chicken, and Wingstop to see who had the best chicken wings.
• Turns out the Korean import Bonchon had the best chicken wings: immaculately crispy and bursting with flavor.
• However, Hooters was a close second place, offering the best chicken wings with a more traditional American flavor profile.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Chicken wings are never out of season.

There are enough sports seasons to make them relevant year-round. Football season? Wings. Baseball season? Wings. Basketball? Wings. Just craving wings? Wings.

As Business Insider's resident taste-tester, I had a sacred duty to try all the wing chains within a reasonable travel distance from our office to find the best chicken wings.

Over a week, I ate wings from Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, TGI Friday's, Bonchon Chicken, and Wingstop to see who had the crispiest, sauciest, juiciest chicken.

Read more:I tried 4 salads from fast-food chains, and Chick-fil-A's finally convinced me not all its food is trash

I never want to smell another chicken wing again. But my sacrifice was not for naught: After dozens of wings, dreadful and delicious, I found the holy grail of chain-restaurant wings.

SEE ALSO: I tried every item on Wendy's new breakfast menu that is rolling out nationwide, and it blew me away

BUFFALO WILD WINGS — A small order of traditional wings cost me $12 plus tax at the Brooklyn location I went to. I got two kinds of sauce: Buffalo wild, and spicy garlic.

I couldn't tell which flavor was which just by looking at them. The wings kind of looked the same.

I picked up one at random and sniffed it. I never thought I could be disgusted by garlic, but this spicy-garlic sauce smelled as if it had been made with blended dried garlic. It was pungent yet lifeless.

There was a decent crisp on the skin, but that was about it. The garlic sauce was noxious, and I don't often say that about garlic sauces. It tasted primarily of vinegar and salt — and copious amounts of both.

Inside, the chicken was tough and overcooked. It had a slightly fishy taste.

The Buffalo-wild flavor was wonderfully spicy but tasted like actual nail-polish remover.

The only way I could tolerate them was by drenching them in ranch, which improved their flavor thousandfold. With the addition of ranch, the wings went from really bad to just OK.

I made the mistake of trying a desiccated "carrot" stick. Never again. The french fries, though, were actually decent. They tasted kind of like McDonald's fries back when they were fried in beef tallow.

HOOTERS — After much internal debate over whether I should set foot in a "breastaurant," I ended up at the Hooters in Manhattan, where I ordered 10-piece Daytona Beach-style wings for $20 plus tax.

Read more:I'm a feminist millennial woman who just ate at Hooters for the first time. Here's why I'd definitely go back.

These wings are deep-fried, tossed in sauce, then put back on the grill for an extra crisp. My server, Diana, had recommended this style of wings to me.

They took 40 minutes to arrive, but they were worth the wait. I was surprised by how tasty these were.

The sauce was sweet and a tiny bit spicy, and the skin was fatty and packed a decent crisp.

These wings were small, but juicy and flavorful.

Unlike the wings at Buffalo Wild Wings, these were not in the least bit oversalted, tough, or soggy. They had clearly been freshly cooked.

Since I ate my first wing naked, I dipped my second in the accompanying ranch sauce.

It was also good with ranch, but not better than without — the true marker of a good wing.

I also noticed that my 10-piece order of wings had, in fact, 13 wings. Was this a mistake? An intentional one?

Either way, I wasn't complaining. I did pay 20 bucks for these wings, and they were delicious. I'll take my free extra chicken where I can get it.

Hooters' wings were fresh, not too greasy, and perfectly sauced. They were all too easy to eat by the platter.

TGI FRIDAY'S — A 10-piece order of traditional wings in Buffalo sauce ran me $14 at the Manhattan location I went to.

The wings were presented in a faux-cast-iron skillet, which seemed inappropriate. Wings aren't traditionally cooked in skillets, and these ones certainly weren't.

The wings were fragrant and so piping hot that they were practically gushing steam. I suspected that they had spent a couple of minutes rotating in the kitchen microwave.

The sauce was the highlight — spicy and tangy, it was your classic Buffalo sauce. But it all went downhill from there.

Nothing could have prepared me for just how bad these wings were. They were tough and dry, and they tasted as if they'd spent eons in a freezer, then in a microwave. Their skin was soggy, and the chicken itself tasted fishy. Chicken should never taste fishy.

After one wing, I had no desire to keep eating. But the meal must go on.

The second time around, I dipped my drumstick into ranch dressing in the hopes of making the meat more palatable.

The watery ranch did little to subdue the fishy flavor of the dreadfully dry chicken. I gave up on these after just two wings and a tiny bite of a third.

BONCHON — At the Bonchon restaurant in Manhattan I went to, an order of 10-piece wings cost $14. I ordered two flavors: spicy, and soy garlic.

Bonchon was the only restaurant that didn't serve dipping sauce with its wings. I was a little disappointed, but I later understood why.

I started with a spicy wing.

The skin was crunchy and bursting with flavor. It was like savory, spicy, tangy candy. The chicken inside was juicy and fatty.

Read more:I ate 8 chicken sandwiches from fast-food chains, and the best was also the cheapest

Instead of celery or carrot sticks, Bonchon gives you a side of pickled radish or coleslaw with your wings.

Crunchy, vinegary, and slightly sweet, these were a refreshing break from the flavor-packed wings.

Next, I tried a soy-sauce drumstick. Even though the skin was crisp and the chicken was consistently good, the soy-sauce flavor was a little too salty for me.

These were very heavy. After about six or seven, I couldn't go on. My stomach felt clogged. I downed an entire glass of water.

Still, it didn't turn me off. I had eaten a lot of wings, and Bonchon's were perfect in pretty much every single way.

WINGSTOP — I went to the Wingstop in downtown Brooklyn, where a 10-piece order of bone-in wings cost $15. This is a combo, though, with two flavors of wings, a side of fries, and a fountain drink.

I ordered half original hot classic wings and half Korean-barbecue wings, in a nod to Bonchon.

Read more:I compared the legendary McChicken with 4 cheap sandwiches from other fast-food chains, and it proved the original is still the best

These were hot and fresh from the fryer.

The skin was not quite as crispy as it could have been, but the crisp wasn't entirely missing. As far as sauces go, "original hot classic" was your traditional Buffalo sauce. It wasn't quite as spicy as I would have liked, but it was well balanced.

The chicken inside was just OK; it didn't compare to the chicken at Hooters or Bonchon. I did like that it wasn't at all greasy. The overall taste profile was much lighter than some of the other wing chains, and that wasn't a bad thing.

The Korean-barbecue flavor tasted mostly just like soy sauce and garlic, which I guess are flavors that exist in Korean barbecue. Still, it didn't hold up to the depth of Bonchon's soy-sauce flavor.

My main gripe with this flavor is that it wasn't very spicy. I suppose it doesn't claim to be, so I have no right to be disappointed.

However, I found that I much preferred the original hot classic wings.

They paired especially well with ranch. And Wingstop's ranch was the real stuff — none of that TGI Friday's watery nonsense.

It's worth mentioning that the fries that come with the wings combo are possibly even more delicious than the wings. They were fresh, crispy, and salty, as if they were made to be dipped in ranch. They probably were.

Wingstop is a solid choice for anyone who wants to satisfy a wing craving and get a full meal for a decent value. Its wings may not be perfect, but they are pretty good. And so is everything else.

If we're talking about who does chicken the best — the crispiest skin, the juiciest meat, the sauciest sauces — the winner is clearly Bonchon. This Korean import is rapidly growing its US presence, but it's already around the world for a good reason: It really is the gold standard for fried chicken.

However, Hooters offered the best traditionally American-style wing. Sure, the skin has less of a crunch, and maybe the sauce didn't have as much of a kick as Bonchon's wings. And sure, you might be forced to consider your morals. But if you crave a greasy, meaty bite of chicken that slides right off the bone, Hooters is your destination.

• Hooters is adding plant-based wings to the menu, a vegetarian option made in partnership with meat alternative maker Quorn. 
• The chicken chain hopes that the plant-based wings appeal to its aging core customer base, as well as millennials and female customers, Hooters' global chief marketing officer Carl Sweat told Business Insider. 
• Hooters has been trying to draw in more female customers in recent years, with orders from women increasing by 50% since 2015, according to the company.
• Sign up for Business Insider's retail newsletter, The Drive-Thru, to get more stories like this in your inbox.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Hooters is adding plant-based "chicken" wings to the menu.

On Monday, the chicken chain announced it is launching meat-free wings, called UNreal Wings, made in partnership with plant-based "meat" maker Quorn. 

Hooters believes that the new plant-based wings will both bring in new customers and appeal to its aging core customer base, according to Carl Sweat, Hooters of America's global chief marketing officer. 

"As many of us have aged and seen the opportunity to eat better," people have been drawn to plant-based options, Sweat told Business Insider in an interview on Monday.

With more education and information shared via social media, Sweat said, the chain's core audience of men over forty is becoming more focused on nutrition. 

Hooters is also working to win over women, as well as millennial and Gen Z customers — groups outside of the chain's traditional sweet spot. These groups are already drawn to plant-based options as they focus on health and sustainability, according to Ben Sussna, Quorn Foods' head of marketing. 

Hooters has been making a major effort in recent years to convince more women to eat at the chain. According to the company, the number of women visiting or ordering the chain via delivery has increased by 50% since 2015, as Hooters has worked to improve its food quality and add options that prevent women from vetoing a visit to the chain. 

"Sometimes the no vote would have been, well they don't have things I can eat, I don't want to eat fried foods," Sweat said. "So really bringing forth healthier options was a big part of that. Adding kids meals and a complete kid's meal with milk ... Just making sure that people understand that, we are a family restaurant." 

While Hooters is making some changes, the chain's Hooters' Girls remain front-and-center in the advertisements for UNreal Wings. Hooters Girls — who act as servers at the chain and are considered the brand's "ambassadors"— participated in blind taste tests of the plant-based wings. When it was revealed that the wings did not contain chicken, the Hooters Girls' shocked reactions were captured on camera, and are being used in the commercial for UNreal wings. 

"They are the chicken experts," Sweat said of the commercial. "They engage with more people on a daily basis about chicken, and they eat the product."

SEE ALSO: Beyond Meat's chief growth officer says he 'can't remember when we've ever said no' to creating a new menu item for a fast-food chain

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• Warren Buffett raised $210,000 for charity in 1999 by auctioning off a wallet containing a stock tip.
• The famed investor's 20-year-old wallet also contained a Geico business card and an expired Hooters discount pass, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• The winning bidder offered to share the stock tip with anyone who donated at least $1,000 to Omaha charity Girls Inc, and around 30 people agreed to his terms.
• Buffett's stock tip was First Industrial Realty Trust, a real-estate investment trust in which he personally invested $43 million then cashed out within a couple of years.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

  ---

Warren Buffett auctioned off a wallet containing a stock tip, a Geico business card, and an expired Hooters half-price pass for $210,000 in 1999.

The billionaire investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway — which owns auto-insurer Geico — donated the proceeds to Girls Inc, a charity which helps young girls in his hometown of Omaha, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Read More: A UBS real estate-investing chief told us 5 ways investors can profit from the pandemic's transformation of how Americans live and work — including the housing markets poised to boom

Buffett's 20-year-old wallet was nothing special. Its only claim to fame was surviving almost an hour in a Minnesota lake after Buffett's business partner Charlie Munger accidentally sunk their fishing boat.

However, Buffett's inclusion of a "winning" stock tip attracted lots of interest. His chosen stock turned out to be First Industrial Realty Trust, a real-estate investment trust that owns warehouses and distribution facilities across the US.

The winner of Buffett's wallet, John Morgan, promised to share the tip with anyone who donated at least $1,000 to Girls Inc. About 30 people took him up on his offer including Fred Henry, a 40-year-old well driller at the time, whose family quickly bought some First Industrial shares.

"We kind of tried to keep it quiet a little bit until we got ourselves into position," Henry told The Journal. "It's been a fun little adventure."

Read More: One of Tesla's biggest bulls on Wall Street breaks down how the company's $5 billion stock sale could benefit retail investors — and explains why the electric-car giant would still be cheap at $1,400 per share in 2024

Henry had been hoping for a more exciting stock recommendation such as Level Three Communications, a telecoms group that was eventually acquired by CenturyLink in 2017. "I guess I'm not as conservative as Mr Buffett," he said.

Indeed, Buffett liked First Industrial enough to personally shell out $43 million for a 4% stake in the company. Yet he didn't hold it for long, as Berkshire told The Journal in August 2001 that he was no longer an investor.

As for the Hooters pass, Buffett received that in exchange for letting the restaurant chain feature his birthday on their calendars, The Journal said. The investor was upgraded to a Hooters VIP card in 2006, allowing him to eat for free at any of their locations.

Join the conversation about this story »

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At first glance, it is hard to imagine a restaurant less suited for a pandemic than the breastaurant. 

People go to chains like Hooters and Twin Peaks for the environment: the scantily-clad "girls," the endless TVs, the crowds of people drinking and watching sports. While chains like McDonald's and Wingstop have thrived during the pandemic, atmosphere is not something you can order at a drive-thru window. 

Read more:The pandemic is permanently changing fast food as Wendy's, Burger King, and Chipotle double down on high-tech drive-thrus

"When March hit us ... you start saying 'There's no way these big events will close.' And they started closing," Twin Peaks CEO Joe Hummel told Business Insider. "It did shake you." 

Yet, both Hooter and Twin Peaks have largely recovered from massive pandemic-induced sales slumps.

Twin Peaks' comparable sales were only down about 5% to 7% in the third quarter, after plunging by 100% when all restaurants closed in March. Today, comparable sales are down around 11%, which is expected as the weather gets colder and COVID surges, Hummel said. 

Hooters of America Brands CEO Sal Melilli said the chain reversed its decline entirely, reaching flat comparable sales earlier this year when restaurants reopened. According to both Mellili and Hummel, customers came flooding back as soon as restaurants reopened, constrained only by local capacity limitations. 

The results at Hooters and Twin Peaks were a contrast to trends in casual dining. Sit-down chains have struggled during the pandemic. Same-store sales have been down by at least 14% every month on average across casual dining chains, according to the Knapp-Track casual-dining tracker. Restaurant research firm Technomic forecasts that casual dining sales in the US will decline by 33% in 2020.

"We found that our heavy user had the pent up demand," Melilli said. "You usually come to Hooters for the experience. You come to see the Hooter girl, you have the great food." 

Twin Peaks and Hooters emphasized different strategies to surviving 2020. But, they came to the same conclusion — even a pandemic cannot kill customers' craving for the breastaurant experience. 

Customers have been desperate to return to Twin Peaks, even if it means eating in the parking lot

Restaurants have essentially two options to regain sales during the pandemic: grow their to-go business or figure out a way to make dine-in profitable amid constantly shifting restrictions.

Before March, Twin Peaks' off-premise business was nonexistent. The 78-unit chain is somewhat of an industry upstart, bringing in $335.8 million in US sales in 2019 compared to Hooters' $858.5 million, according to data from Technomic.

Founded in 2005, Twin Peaks has taken on the more established Hooters by leaning hard on customers' experience in restaurants. Twin Peaks describes itself as a "sports lodge," with an emphasis on food made from scratch, draft beers served at 29 degrees, and Twin Peaks Girls in checkered crop tops. 

When all Twin Peaks locations closed, the chain began working on its to-go business. Still, even today, takeout only makes 5% of Twin Peaks sales. The chain needed to figure out a way to make the sports lodge experience work during a pandemic — fast. 

Twin Peaks gradually reopened restaurants through May, June, and July, with only six locations closing permanently. Twin Peaks Girls donned masks and plexiglass barriers were installed between tables. People filled locations to capacity limits, eager to watch sports even as games were canceled or rescheduled at unexpected times.

System-wide, Twin Peaks spent roughly $1.5 million on expanding outdoor dining into parking lots, and another $1.5 to $2 million in patio expenses. Hummel said that the chain attempted to capture the vibe of a tailgate, reframing the parking lot move as a positive. 

"We're the top sports bar in the nation, and we know that people really enjoy not only our great TVs, but also the overall atmosphere," Hummel said. 

"Tailgating can have that too," Hummel added. "Instead of just off the back of a truck, it becomes really an event in a parking lot, an experience. It's just an extension of inside the restaurant." 

Hooters is building to-go sales, including expanding its fast-casual chain 'Hoots'  

Hooters also saw customers rush to return to restaurants, bumping up against local capacity limitations. However, while takeaway only makes up 5% of Twin Peaks business, Hooter of America (HOA) Brands CEO Melilli said delivery and takeaway now account for nearly 30% of the chain's business, up from 20% pre-pandemic. In other words, 30% of Hooter's sales are now sans Hooters Girls. 

HOA Brands is the company behind more than 400 Hooters restaurants in 42 states and 29 countries. As the most famous breastaurant in the world, Hooters' is first-and-foremost known for two things, Melilli says: Hooters Girls and wings. The chain has recently doubled down on selling wings without servers in tank tops by building out its delivery business with partnerships with third-party services like Grubhub and Uber Eats. 

"We were ahead of our time, so to speak, with the delivery model and the partners that we have," Melilli said. "You try to get into that business when the pandemic hit, it was too late. You already missed that boat."

HOA Brands also had an ace up its sleeve: Hoots, a fast-casual chain that the company launched four years ago. There are currently only seven locations of Hoots, which focuses on wings, served by workers dressed in t-shirts and polos that cover their full midriff.

Wings sales skyrocketed across the industry during the pandemic, as customers sought out meals that hold up through delivery and takeout journeys. The wings boom helped inspire Hoots' expansion plans, with franchisees slated to open 17 more Hoots in 2021.

"If you're a consumer that wants ... the game day experience, the dine-in experience, where you're going to be waited on and you wanted that atmosphere, the Hooters business came back equally as strong," Melilli said. "But if you were still hesitant or perhaps didn't want to leave the house, or were not comfortable, you're able to still get your food delivered, whether that be Hoots or Hooters." 

Breastaurants are only going to grow in 2021

The struggle isn't over for Twin Peaks, Hooters, and the rest of the restaurant industry. With COVID cases skyrocketing, state and city orders that limit capacity and ban indoor (and in some cases, outdoor) dining are returning. And, as the weather gets colder, outdoor seating is no longer the fix that it was this summer and early fall. 

"Just because it's January 5th, doesn't mean 2020 is behind us and the pandemic is over," Melilli said. 

Roughly 110,000 restaurants across the US have permanently closed since March, according to the National Restaurant Association. More closures are guaranteed if restaurants do not receive aid from the government, the industry group has predicted. 

Read more: Sales return to normal levels at massive chains, but independent restaurants continue to struggle — a trend that could permanently change the industry

"No restaurants can survive long-term at 50%," Hummel said. "We're anxious to get past these 50% and 25% capacities, and these curfews, and alcohol restrictions and all the different restrictions that are put on by all the different communities. No restaurant is really set up to succeed that way." 

Unlike many restaurants — especially independents — that may not make it through the early days of 2021, Twin Peaks and Hooters are already looking towards a bright, post-vaccine future. Hoot's expansion is likely to outpace Hooters' growth in 2021, as franchisees are eager to buy small, takeout-oriented restaurants, according to Melilli. Twin Peaks has been opening locations during the pandemic and plans to open 10 to 15 new restaurants next year. 

Both CEOs said diners are eager to return to restaurants as soon as they possibly can. After a challenging 2020, most customers want nothing more than to relax with a beer and some wings, soaking in the ambiance at their chain of choice. 

"People won't take for granted going out, and having a drink and a bite to eat, and watching a game," Hummel said. 

SEE ALSO: 95% of McDonald's franchisees vote to cut all 'non-essential' contact with corporate in protest over millions in new costs

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When will we go back to sports bars?

Hooters' CEO says that he is looking to March Madness as a key barometer for when life will return to normal post-COVID-19. 

The pandemic has wiped out the experience of crowding into a bar to watch sports. And, with coronavirus cases surging across the US, a new year does not necessarily mean it will be safe — or legal — to return to bars. 

"Just because it's January 5th doesn't mean 2020 is behind us and the pandemic is over," Hooters of America Brands CEO Sal Melilli told Business Insider in a recent interview. 

Read more:Hooters and Twin Peaks are defying the casual dining sales free fall. Their CEOs explain how the breastaurant chains weathered the pandemic, and are set to thrive in 2021

Melilli said that March Madness will be a "telling piece" of understanding what business will look like in 2021. Hooters is planning for multiple March Madness scenarios, according to Melilli, depending on if indoor dining is allowed and how the National Collegiate Athletic Association decides to arrange the tournament — if it happens at all. 

"As a leader, I'm an optimist to begin with, but we have to have those scenarios in place," Melilli said. "We run scenarios, we run budgets, we run marketing plans." 

March Madness 2020 was the moment that the pandemic became 'real' for many Americans

A year ago, canceling March Madness was outside the realm of possibility. The tournament, along with other major sporting events like the Super Bowl, are typically major sales drivers for Hooters and other sports-bar adjacent chains like Twin Peaks. 

"We never thought we would see the day when we would cancel March Madness," Twin Peaks CEO Joe Hummel told Business Insider. 

Yet, last March, the NCAA did just that. Soon after, all Hooters and Twin Peaks locations were forced to shut down indoor dining, as the US attempted to stop the spread of coronavirus cases across the nation. 

Read more:Leaked document: Top ad agency predicts that cancelled NBA and NCAA events will cost TV networks up to a 25% drop in viewership

Hooters and Twin Peaks doubled down on their to-go and delivery business, in an effort to boost sales in light of shuttered restaurants and capacity limits. Outdoor dining became a way for customers to watch games, with Twin Peaks spending roughly $3.5 million across the system to build out its patios and parking lot business. 

Many customers have been eager to return to both Hooters and Twin Peaks as soon as they are able to do so, according to the CEOs. Melilli and Hummel said that they expect to see a surge in customers as restrictions loosen in the coming months, whether that be before or after March Madness. 

"We found that our heavy user had the pent up demand," Melilli said. "You usually come to Hooters for the experience. You come to see the Hooter girl, you have the great food." 

Read the full story of how CEOs said breastaurant chains weathered the pandemic here. 

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