Wesley Chapel Hooters project is dead, county confirms

Pasco County officials confirmed on October 26 that the Hooters restaurant planned for Wesley Chapel is no longer moving forward. The project, located at 25245 Wesley Chapel Blvd. next to a Harley-Davidson dealership, has been dropped. County planners stated that the restaurant’s representatives do not intend to resubmit the application for site review.

The decision ends a period of uncertainty that began in October 2024. At that time, the company announced plans for a 4,500-square-foot casual-dining sports bar with an outdoor patio. The initial target for the opening was the summer of 2025. Signs indicating the restaurant was coming soon remained up at the site until recently, though the physical signs are now down.

Construction did not begin as expected during that first year. In March 2025, Hooters of America LLC, the franchisor, filed for bankruptcy. A spokesperson for HMC Hospitality Group Inc., the operator of the Wesley Chapel location, said at the time that the plans to rebuild remained firm. HMC, led by the original owners of the Clearwater restaurant from 1983, reported record sales in 2024 and noted that other units were under construction.

Optimism persisted into the summer of 2025. In June, a spokesperson told local media that the Wesley Chapel location was coming soon with an anticipated fall opening. The company opened a new restaurant in The Villages in July 2025. That July press release mentioned the Wesley Chapel expansion as part of its growth plans.

The situation changed following the bankruptcy proceedings. The original ownership group and partners acquired control of the larger Hooters of America chain. Since taking over, the new ownership has closed numerous restaurants, including several locations in Florida this month. CEO Neil Kiefer said these closures involve underperforming locations acquired during the restructuring. He described the moves as part of an effort to rebuild the brand.

It is not clear if this broader restructuring directly caused the abandonment of the Wesley Chapel site. However, county documents show that planners were still awaiting responses to requested revisions just days before the final confirmation arrived. The project is now considered dead by local officials.

The site at 25245 Wesley Chapel Blvd. will not receive a Hooters restaurant. The chain’s website previously listed the location as coming soon, but that status has changed. The physical signs at the property have been removed. No new timeline or alternative plans for the space have been announced by the developers or the county.