Florida
Random Florida Fact: This iconic restaurant launched in Florida on April 1, 1983. Here’s the story
ORLANDO, Fla. – Note: This story is originally a special episode of the News 6 podcast Your Florida Daily. Tap the player above to listen.
It’s hard to believe there was once a time when America was not obsessed with chicken wings.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, most American restaurants featured a formal fork-and-knife menu and provided a space for adults to dress up for dinner with their spouse or family.
But in October 1983, a new chain hit the dining scene that rocked the casual dining concept.
It featured a sign out front offering “Clams, wings, shrimp and oyster roasts.”
It had a laid-back, beach-side social atmosphere where you could sit down for a round of cold beer, watch some sports on TV and order these things called Buffalo-style chicken wings.
Oh, and one important thing I should mention: the waitresses were hot.
That chain, as you probably already know from the title of this story, is Hooters.
It’s now been more than 40 years since Hooters was founded in Clearwater, Florida, and say what you want about those skimpy orange and white outfits, the company estimates it’s employed more than 450,000 “Hooters Girls” over the last four decades.
The origin story of Hooters
“That all started with Lynne Austin, who they were having a Jose Cuervo contest on Clearwater Beach,” said Edward C. Droste, one of the founders who by all accounts came up with the idea of hiring gorgeous women as servers at his new restaurant.
Ed Droste is one among those later known as the “Hooters Six,” comprised of L.D. Stewart, Gil DiGiannantonio, Billy Ranieri, Dennis Johnson, Kenny Wimmer and Ed Droste.
Droste was a real estate executive at the time, flipping properties all over South Florida.
He and his buddies would go to different places for lunch and this one roadside restaurant in Dania Beach called Tarks had it all.
Tarks had good food, beach vibes and every class of customer. Ed thought, “How can I reproduce this in Clearwater?”
On April 1, 1983, he and his buddies — without any prior restaurant experience — launched Hooters Inc.
“We were pretty clueless,” Droste said. “So this was just six guys getting together saying, ‘Hey, we got to try this.’”
As you could imagine, opening day was interesting.
“It was empty. There were two carpenters and a plumber that came in and I was so glad to see him I bought their lunch, and then got lectured by my partners that we’re not going to get rich buying everybody’s lunches and dinners when they come in. So the pressure was on,” Droste said.
‘Flying by the seat of our pants’
It actually took months for the concept to catch on.
In the meantime, Droste and his team came up with funky promotions to drum excitement about those Buffalo chicken wings.
“Renting a chicken costume and running around in traffic,” Droste remembers.
One day, a boat sank next to the Clearwater causeway and gave Droste an idea.
“I saw it sitting there just totally facing all this traffic and we went got a six pack of beer and a can of paint. And we painted Hooters on the side of it.”
Which led to even more publicity.
But the greatest thing that ever happened to Hooters was hiring Lynne Austin.
The first Hooters Girl
Lynne Austin had just won a swimsuit contest on the beach when Droste jumped out his boat and swam over to talk to her.
“I put my business cards in a plastic bag and tried to chase down the winner. I said, ‘Hey, we’re going to open a restaurant,’ and she blew it off.”
Lynn eventually came around and became the first poster model for the brand new restaurant.
So, Ed and the gang are still doing all kinds of goofy promotions and capitalizing on the popularity of their scantily clad employees.
At one point, the company started Hooters Air, an airline which was not Ed’s idea.
“I always said, though, there are only two things I would not want to have: a Hooters airline, and I wouldn’t want to have a Hooters hospital.”
In 1992, Hooters is the official sponsor of a NASCAR underdog named Alan Kulwicki.
At the Hooters 500 in Atlanta, 170,000 fans watched from the stands when Alan Kulwicki won the Winston Cup.
“In our Hooters car, and it was the Hooters 500,” Droste said.
The Hooters brand is on top of the world — literally. In 1996, Hooters opened its first restaurant overseas in Singapore.
In 1997, the legal trouble began.
Legal battle of the sexes
The first lawsuit was filed by three guys who were told they weren’t allowed to be servers at Hooters, because they were men.
“They charged us with failure to hire men in the position of the Hooters girl position and we kind of thought it was kind of a joke,” Droste said.
That case was just the first of many lawsuits, including a few from women who said they were sexually harassed at work or racially discriminated against.
Hooters settled out of court in each case and, ultimately, federal regulators backed off the discrimination charges.
Chain experiences shrinkage
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the chain was expanding quickly and by 2013, there were around 430 locations around the world.
There was also competition.
“I’m curious what you thought of the term ‘Breastaurant.’ Do you like that label?” I asked.
“We don’t like it at all,” Droste said. “And it didn’t come out ‘til a few years into it. We don’t judge people. We’re not for everybody. And, you know, I would say the imitators of us put so much more of an emphasis on that.”
Hooters now has closer to 300 locations.
Critics say the decline is because you can get a better chicken wing somewhere else these days. Droste says the COVID pandemic was a big hit and pointed to a major side effect of that rapid expansion.
“It’s hard to get that kind of consistency.”
Hooters philanthropy
It’s also worth mentioning that Hooters has done a lot of good.
Its stores in Florida have raised half a million to a million a year for the Moffitt Cancer Research Institute.
Hooters has a campaign called “Give a Hoot” which has raised more than $9 million over the years for the V Foundation to fund breast cancer research.
Droste’s wife Marsha, a former Hooters Calendar Girl, plays a big role in their philanthropy.
“She was at the front of all this breast cancer stuff for the anniversary and she’s really good at it,” he said.
Restauranting is a risky business.
Lots of other successful restaurants have closed over the years and Hooters is one of the few chains that has held up to the competition.
Even though the company’s gone through several ownership changes over the years – Hooters is actually two different privately held companies – it helped change the way we go out to eat.
Hooters has a unique place in American pop culture – and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere.
Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
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In 2025, the Ole Miss Rebels’ PA announcer came over the mic and proclaimed “B.T.A.” after they beat the Florida Gators 34-24.
That Rebels team has some key pieces coming back for their 2026 campaign, but they will be playing a totally different Florida team. However, if the Rebels did what they did last year, they will have a great chance of beating the Gators this season.
Kewan Lacy Repeat
Last year, Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy rushed for 224 yards and three touchdowns against Florida. He had himself a day, and though he will be going against a different defensive style in 2026, it is still a scheme that he and the Rebels have seen.
The Florida Gators hired new head coach Jon Sumrall last winter to bring back a winning mindset to Florida.
Ole Miss got to see the defense Sumrall runs twice this past season when he was the head coach at Tulane. Lacy rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns in their two games against Tulane.
If Lacy does what he did last year to the Gators, the Rebels have a great shot to win this game.
The Trinidad Chambliss & Deuce Alexander Connection
In addition to Lacy having two great games against Sumrall’s defense, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and wide receiver Deuce Alexander both showed out as well.
Chambliss threw for 589 yards and threw three touchdown passes. He also rushed for an additional 148 yards.
Furthermore, Chambliss showed a lot of patience in the pocket and progressed through his reads quite well. He just tore apart Tulane’s defense, and a lot of that happened with the help of his receiver, Alexander.
Alexander had the most receptions in both games against the Green Wave. He totaled 11 catches for 181 yards and one touchdown.
Chambliss found Alexander down the field a lot in both these games, and the duo will be a huge threat to the Gators in 2026.
Take Florida seriously
Florida has struggled in the past few years, but they are no cake walk. In their last two seasons, they have gone 12-13 but have proved they can beat good teams.
This includes upsetting Ole Miss and ruining their playoff run in 2024. That game was in Gainesville, where the Rebels will return for the game against the Gators in 2026.
The Florida Gators have made many moves to their roster and coaching staff. This team is a lot different from last year. A new team has the ability to surprise a lot of people.
Golding and the Rebels must recognize that and prepare diligently for a battle against the Gators.
The Rebels have a better team going into this game, and if they can repeat what they did so well against Sumrall’s defense last year, they will walk out of Gainesville with a huge win in what could be an early turning point of the season.
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Florida baseball’s Brendan Lawson home run vs Rider in NCAA Gainesville Regional
Florida baseball topped Rider in walkoff fashion behind Brendan Lawson’s home run. See the moment.
Florida baseball is now one win away from returning to a Super Regional for the first time in three years.
The Gators dispatched in-state rival Miami behind seven home runs to come away with a 22-10 win over the Hurricanes to reach the Gainesville Regional final on Saturday, May 30, at Condron Ballpark.
Florida (41-19) jumped out to a 6-1 lead over Miami, but the Hurricanes steadily chipped away at the deficit.
After Miami hit a solo home run in the first inning, Florida quickly answered with six runs in the bottom of the frame, which was highlighted by a 3-run homer from Cade Kurland.
The two teams traded runs as Miami delivered back-to-back RBI hits in the third with Karson Bowen hitting a solo home run to make the score 7-4. Then, in the fourth inning, the Hurricanes picked up two more runs, while Bredan Lawson scored on a fielding error as Miami (39-19) narrowed UF’s lead to 8-6.
The Hurricanes tied the game in the fifth inning after a run was walked in and another scored on a fielder’s choice.
Florida then erupted for a seven-run rally with two outs in the sixth inning. Miami needed four different arms to get out of the inning before Kyle Jones hit a decisive 3-run double to build a 15-8 lead.
Miami picked up two more runs in the eighth inning, but the Gators answered decisively by hitting five home runs in the bottom of the frame to put the game away.
Here’s what happened in Florida’s win over Miami:
The Gators hit five different home runs in the eighth inning, which came from Kurland, Blake Cyr, Brendan Lawson, Ethan Surowiec and Karson Bowen.
Cade Kurland hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to extend Florida’s lead over Miami to 16-10.
In the eighth inning, Jackson Barberi surrenders an RBI single. He then get hits by a line drive, which allows a run to score as Miami narrows Florida’s lead to 15-10.
The Gators plate seven runs all with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Canes walked back-to-back runs, which is followed by an infield error that plates another run. Karson Bowen scored on a wild and Kyle Jones delivers a 3-run double build Florida a 15-8 lead over Miami. The Canes have made four pitching changes in the inning.
The Hurricanes score for a third straight inning as they pick up two more runs in the fifth to make it an 8-8 game. Luke McNeillie walked in a run, which led to him exiting the game. Florida failed to turn a double play and allowed the tying run to score.
Another throwing error to first base allows for Brendan Lawson to score from first base and extend UF’s leads to 8-6 in the bottom of the fourth.
Luke McNeillie throws a wild pitch, which allows for the Hurricanes to score a run and narrow the score to 7-6 in the fourth inning.
Aidan King’s night is done after allowing an RBI single as Miami narrows the score to 7-5 in the top of the fourth inning. King allowed five runs from eights and recorded three strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Luke McNeillie enters the game on the mound.
Karson Bowen hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning to extend UF’s lead to 7-4
Miami narrows the score to 6-4 after plating three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Aidan King gave up four straight hits with two outs, which included an RBI double and a 2-run single.
The Gators answer quickly in the bottom of the frame as UF takes a 6-1 lead over Miami. Kyle Jones scores from a fielding error followed by Ethan Surowiec driving in a run with a sac fly. Karson Bowen came up with an infield RBI single, while Cade Kurland delivered a 3-run homer over the left field wall.
Before the inning ends, Miami takes out starting pitcher AJ Ciscar.
The Canes hit a solo home run from the fourth pitch of the games.
Miami’s Jake Ogden hits a home run off the fourth pitch of the game to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Aidan King then gives up a double and a hit by pitch, but gets out of the jam with a double play.
- CF Kyle Jones
- SS Brendan Lawson
- LF Blake Cyr
- 3B Ethan Surowiec
- DH Caden McDonald
- C Karson Bowen
- 1B Landon Stripling
- 2B Cade Kurland
- RF Hayden Yost
On the mound is Aidan King
How to watch Florida baseball vs Miami
TV Channel: ACC Netowrk
Streaming: ESPN+
Florida vs. Miami will be broadcast nationally on the ACC Network on Saturday, May 30. Eric Frede and Lance Cormier will call the game from the booth at Condron Family Ballpark.
Stream Florida baseball vs Miami
Florida baseball vs Miami projected starting pitchers
RHP Aidan King (2-5, 4.00 ERA) vs RHP AJ Ciscar (4.44 ERA, 5-4)
Florida baseball upcoming schedule
- NCAA Regionals, May 29-June 1
- NCAA Super Regionals, June 5-8
- College World Series, June 12-22
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at AAbadie@usatodayco.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
A Florida woman was arrested after she drove onto a golf course while intoxicated, crashed her car, and found with dozens of miniature bottles of Fireball whiskey, according to authorities.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office identified her as 34-year-old Erika Mayer, of Palmetto.
“She was smashed,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a video shared on X earlier this week. “She was drunk — capital DRUNK. Wrecked her car. She said, ‘But I haven’t been drinking.’
The sheriff’s office said deputies responded to a single-car crash near Streamsong Golf Resort on May 14 shortly before 7 p.m. When deputies arrived, they found a red 2018 Hyundai resting on a sidewalk and a woman sitting beside the car.
Investigators said Mayer appeared impaired, displayed slurred speech, poor balance, and incoherent behavior. Deputies also detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath, the sheriff’s office said.
A witness told deputies they saw Mayer driving across one of the golf courses in the area before the crash.
Judd said deputies searched Mayer’s car, where they found 21 open mini bottles of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, two empty 50 milliliter bottles of 99 Brand liqueurs, and an unopened 10-pack of Fireball.
“And she had empty Fireball bottles in her pants,” Judd said, adding that she was “drunker than Cooter Brown” and “had no idea where she was.”
Deputies said they asked Mayer to perform field sobriety exercises and provide breath samples, but she refused both requests.
According to Judd, Mayer told deputies she declined the tests because she heard it was a bad idea to participate in field sobriety exercises.
Mayer was arrested and charged with DUI, DUI with property damage, and refusing to submit to a DUI test. She was also cited for failure to drive within a single lane and possessing an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.
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No one was hurt in connection with the crash, authorities said.
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