
Neil Kiefer has fond memories of the original Hooters restaurant he cofounded in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida. Despite naming his chain with a heavy dose of innuendo, he and his partners intended it as a beachside dining spot for young people and families.
“It started as a place five miles from the beach,” Kiefer, now the CEO of Hooters Inc., told Fortune. “You came in from the beach, could throw some coveralls on, shorts…and it was a hangout.”