Veterans are known for their entrepreneurial ways. Some try their hands at real estate, consulting or even t-shirts. Lynn “L.D.” Stewart created a restaurant post-Army service that has survived the tumultuous world of dining while creating a name for itself among the American public: Hooters. Yes, you guessed it, the restaurant chain that has locations all over the U.S. and the world, although now it is going through survival pains and restructuring, it is still an enduring brand with Americana flair.
Hailing from Woodstock, IL, Stewart played collegiate football and served time in the U.S. Army during the mid-1960s. He went through a few different jobs such as being a coal miner and construction worker before striking into business. In the early 1980s in Clearwater, FL, Stewart partnered with five associates to open the first Hooters on April 1, 1983. The inside joke was the associates thought they would fail so they chose April Fools’ Day to open. Well, it certainly didn’t fail and succeeded far beyond their initial plans. Stewart brought original recipes from his test kitchen to the store to give it a down-home sense and the restaurant turned its first profit within four months. The restaurant’s brand and style brought in clientele of all types over the decades, especially now that it is over 40 years old. The group pressed forward and continued to open stores in and around Clearwater, FL, through the 1980s and into the early 1990s.
In 1991, Robert H. Brooks bought into the already growing Hooters chain and eventually became the chairman. Brooks served in the Army in the 1960s before he founded Naturally Fresh Foods in Atlanta. Brooks had a history of leading companies and led Hooters both nationally and internationally to great heights. In 1995, after founding Hooters, Stewart sold his 51% of the shares to Brooks and stepped away from the company. The business grew exponentially during the decade and by 1996 they were generating over $300M in revenue. Because of the success, Brooks earned the title of Georgia Entrepreneur of the Year in 1996. Brooks played it smart by buying the Hooters trademark from the founders in 2001, and his son Coby eventually ran the company. Coby led the firm to try out airlines with Hooters Air which ran from 2004 to 2006, Hooter Pro Cup auto racing, Hooter Pro Tour for golf, a Hooters Casino Hotel in Lost Wages errr in Las Vegas and even a try at a credit card with the Hooters Master Card in the mid-2000s. Some turned out better than others. Brooks may have been retired but he still came to Hooters headquarters in Atlanta every week and was known as the World Wide Wing Commander at the company. In retirement, he donated large sums to schools in South Carolina where he lived such as Clemson University and Coastal Carolina University. Brooks passed in 2006. By the late 2000s, the chain had expanded to 44 states, 12 countries and over 430 stores. The Brooks family no longer runs the company as Coby left the firm when Hooters was sold in 2011. The company carries on today and even though they are restructuring they are still a name in pop culture and history. Both Stewart and Brooks left an enduring and interesting legacy for two Army veterans who took risks and pushed a brand further than anyone expected.
