Hooters, the restaurant chain primarily known for their waiting staff comprising of scantily-clad young women, has defended fake news reports claiming that the business was shutting down and considering rebranding.

On Tuesday, Daily Loud tweeted, “Hooters is shutting down and ‘rebranding’ after new study shows that millennials ‘aren’t that into b**bs'” which immediately went viral. 

Also Read | Who are Alexis Shaianne Smith, Roderick Ramone Brown?

Hooters rubbished the bogus reports in a tweet after the news spread like fire and the brand ended up getting trolled.

Twitter has presently flagged the tweet above, which carries the following message:  “This post incorrectly reports details from a 2017 article.

The article stated that Hooters closed some locations due to a ‘sales slump that is hitting most sit-down causal-dining chains.’ Hooters will remain, locations and attire are just being made more family-friendly.”

Also Read | Waffle House brawl on Christmas Day which led to 2 arrests: Watch

The news was also carried by Complex magazine which tweeted the news out. Responding to that tweet, Hooters’ Twitter account said Wednesday: “This is the fakest news that has ever newsed.”

A Hooters spokesperson told HITC: “There is no validity to this story.  Guests are enjoying this week’s televised sports events at our restaurants across the country and around the world in record numbers, accompanied by craveable menu items, cold beer and iconic hospitality. Our concept is here to stay.”

Also Read | Who is Jordan Douglas Krah, man arrested for racist, homophobic rant at San Ramon In-N-Out?

The fake claims stem from a 2017 Business Insider article, which reported at the time that the chain had struggled with attracting millennial customers for some time. The report stated that Hooters restaurants dropped by seven percent from 2012 to 2016.

While the report didn’t say that the chain was rebranding, it did note that the chain had introduced revamped decor and a new menu “in an attempt to attract younger patrons and female customers”.