Hooters is pivoting to delivery to solve a 'polarizing issue' with the brand
- 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.