Phoenix Suns Star Devin Booker Pleads with Hooters to Stay Open amid Bankruptcy Rumors

Mar. 15, 2025

Left: Devin Booker; Right: A Hooters restaurant in Rohnert Park, California.Photo:Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty; David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty

Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty; David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty

“Plz don’t go @Hooters,” Booker, 28, wrote on Feb. 22.The post came one day afterBloombergreported that the chain is in talks to restructure and address its debt through bankruptcy. In September, the outletsaidthat the sports bar company owes $300 million in asset-backed bonds.

The NBA All-Star has a 13-year history as a fan of the chain. In 2012, he publicly shared his plans to visit Hooters.

“I’m thinking hooters tonight with the fellas,” he posted on May 9, 2012. Two hours later, he provided another update, “At hooters chillen.”

Booker’s teammate, Kevin Durant, also uploaded a post about the chain’s news. On Feb. 23, Durant, 36, posted what appears to be anAI-generated imageof himself and Booker wearing Hooters T-shirts next to a plate of chicken wings.

Luckily for Booker, a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy does not mean the chain will be gone for good. Hooters of America closed 40 locations across the country in 2024. Yet, none were in Booker’s state of Arizona.

A Hooters restaurant in Rohnert Park, California.David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty

Recent years have been a struggle for casual dining chains amid inflation and supply chain issues. Last year, bothRed Lobsterand TGI Fridays filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Booker, who is averaging 26.1 points this season, and his Suns next face off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 25.

source: people.com